IPOH, March 31 (Bernama) - Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today related his experience as a Form Five student at Sekolah Izzudin Shah here in 1970.

In his speech at the ‘Santunan Kasih Ramadan’ event held at the school, the Rural and Regional Development Minister said while a student at the school, he was taught by teachers who only had Form Five qualifications in a learning environment that lacked almost everything.

“But once a teacher, you will always be a teacher and because of that, we learn to respect our teachers at this school because it was through them that the school produced many figures who have made the country proud," he said in his speech at the event. 

Ahmad Zahid said among the personalities who passed out from Izzudin Shah included academician, researcher and writer Prof Bukhari Lubis and the late Prof Datuk Dr Siddiq Fadzil, the former President of the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim) and father to Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.

At the event, Ahmad Zahid also approved an allocation of RM1 million to upgrade Sekolah Izzudin Shah so that the school would be at par with other famous religious schools.

"I am a product of this school and if there are any shortcomings and with my limitations, I will try my best to make sure that this school is as good as others,” he said.

Sekolah Izzudin Shah is the seventh location of 13 states for the Ramadan Santunan Kasih programme organised by the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development.

The programme kicked off on March 24 at the Batu 8 Mosque in Gombak, Selangor.

The event was attended by close to 1,500 people comprising orphans, tahfiz students, ‘asnaf’ (zakat recipients) and local residents.

At the event, Ahmad Zahid also presented ‘duit raya’ and food baskets to 140 orphans and tahfiz students.

-- BERNAMA