MARA Foundation to replace MARA Education Foundation

MARA Foundation will be the new name of MARA Education Foundation in a bid to extend its scope beyond education.

As of January 2017, MARA Education Foundation (YPM) will take on a new identity and be known as MARA Foundation. This transformation is intended to cover a wider scope.

Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) Chairman, Tan Seri Annuar Musa says the name was changed at a meeting in Langkawi over the weekend, according to Bernama.

“It is a transformation which we will carry, including widening the scope of the foundation, not only for education or educational activities alone," he said.

Annuar told reporters at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) after a dialogue with students and lecturers that MARA contributes RM20 million annually to YPM and that the organisation intends to increase the funding.

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced the government has created five initiatives to empower MARA, which include the establishment of MARA Corporation Berhad, Rural Capital Berhad and UniMARA.

The proposal to change the name was also announced by the prime minister in an effort to enhance the foundation's corporate social responsibility.

Additionally, MARA has expressed an interest in having more of its engineering students furthering education in China, according to Annuar.