Utilise The "1TeachersCard" Facility - Muhyiddin

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 14 (Bernama) -- Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin advised holders of the '1TeachersCard' credit card comprising teachers and staff of the Education Ministry to utilise in the best manner the privileges and facilities provided instead of using it to the extent of creating problems to the holders.

The Deputy Prime Minister, who is also the Education Minister, said the main privilege for the card holders was the interest rate which was the lowest in the market, which was 8.88 per cent annually and various other priveleges.

"The credit card must be utilised wisely and with caution. As long as it is properly used, it will certainly be benificial to us," he said when speaking at the prize presentation ceremony for the 1TeachersCard 'Kerana Anda Begitu Istimewa' (Because You Are Very Special) organised by the Yayasan Guru Malaysia Bhd (YBGM) in collaboration with Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) here, Wednesday.


He said a portion of the proceeds from the transactions or use of the credit card would be channeled to the YBGM welfare fund which would be contributed back to the teachers through various activities and welfare programmes.

"This is in line with the YBGM slogan 'Daripada Guru Untuk Guru' (From The Teachers To The Teachers) and as such, I hope more teachers will utilise the credit card because indirectly the consumers will also contribute for the benefit of teachers," he said.

Muhyiddin said more than 50,000 teachers had become users of '1TeachersCard' since the credit card was launched in 2013 and the number was expected to rise further as the condition of the card ownership had now been extended to the staff of institutions of higher learning throughout the country.

He said the introduction of the credit card was an element of creativity and innovation and it was most significant with the aspiration of the ministry in Malaysia's National Education Blueprint 2013-2025 to transform the national education system.

"In the efforts to transform the national education system, the cooperation and roles of the non-governmental organisations and the private sector are most welcome and appreciated including in the context of the teachers' welfare," he said.

In this regard, Muhyiddin suggested that more parties would emulate the initiatives of the YGMB and BSN to come forward with various methods and approaches which were more innovative for the benefits of teachers.

At the event, a teacher from SMK Seri Jengka, Maran, Pahang, Muhamad Nor Hidayat was named as the main winner of the campaign 'Kerana Anda Begitu Istimewa' and walked away with a BSN Premium Savings Certificate (SSP) worth RM100,000.

Five other winners walked away with the BSN SSP worth RM10,000, while 20 others won consolation prizes in the form of a smart phone.