By Norrasyidah Arshad
HULU SELANGOR, Dec 27 — The endowment fund set up by Hulu Selangor Municipal Council (MPHS) in December 2020 to assist those in need, the first by any local government in the country, has set an example for others to follow.
Its president Mohd Hasry Nor Mohd said the fund is now being emulated by other local authorities, including the Kuala Lumpur City Hall and the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council.
He noted that several council representatives have visited MPHS to learn from its experience in managing the fund.
"The MPHS endowment fund has garnered the support from over 1,000 contributors, including individual donors and MPHS suppliers.
“Some of these benefactors offer their support regularly, whether monthly or periodically. This continuous flow of contributions ensures the sustained provision of aid to those in need," he told reporters at a high tea event to celebrate the anniversary of MPHS’ endowment fund at Fraser Valley, here, yesterday.
The gathering was held not only to celebrate the fund's success but also to recognise the generosity of its contributors.
In a gesture of community support, MPHS also announced an undisclosed amount of donation to the Hulu Selangor Community Development Department.
This contribution will aid in refurbishing a local transit centre, further exemplifying the fund's reach and impact.
"To date, 1,465 students have directly benefited from this initiative, receiving financial assistance to cover their Parent-Teacher Association fees,” Hasry said.
On a separate matter, Hasry said MPHS will be allocating close to RM10 million for the development and upgrading of public infrastructure projects next year for the comfort of residents.
He said this accounts for 10 per cent of the council’s overall revenue collection of over RM96 million this year.
“We want taxpayers’ money to be returned by way of providing better services. We want to provide the public with the best possible facilities.”
Previously in November, Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari had instructed all local councils in the state to focus on improving public facilities next year and that they must utilise at least 10 per cent of their reserves for this purpose.
