Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) will help academic staff badly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through a special aid initiative.

Vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Md Amin Md Taff said the Bantuan Prihatin Khas initiative was launched as a sign of the university’s concern for its staff with the hope that it would help alleviate their burden.

He said the special assistance initiative was coordinated by the Registrar’s Department, Human Resource Management Division, Treasury Department, Staff Welfare Unit and Wakaf, Endowment, Zakat, Khairat and Alms Centre while funds were obtained from the UPSI Prihatin Fund, Amanah Zakat UPSI Fund and Amanah Sedekah UPSI Fund.

“Last year, UPSI created the UPSI Prihatin Fund and contributions received from outside truly helped the university to provide assistance, including loans without interest amounting to a maximum of RM500 for the staff.

“Besides this, the university’s management also gave a moratorium of six months to staff who took loans to buy computers or cars,” he said in a statement today.

He said UPSI has also set up food banks in various locations to enable staff to access them easily.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency