A SARAWAK church, hoping to assist 1,000 students in both public and private tertiary institutions to return home to vote in the November 19 general election, is desperately short of the RM300,000 it needs to fund its drive.

The Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference (SCAC) Methodist Church in Sibu said it has as of 9am today managed to secure RM30,000 and it has only five short days to secure the balance to make its Free Air Tickets, Return To Vote 2.0 campaign a success.

Reverend Nicholas Tan, who heads the drive, admits reaching the target is a tough ask but “we trust in Him”.

The church had a similar drive in the 2018 general election where the RM200,000 it managed to secure, assisted some 600 students.

The assistance is not only confined to Sarawak students in the peninsular or Sabah to return home to vote, Tan told The Malaysian Insight.

“It’s open to all Malaysian students.”

He said students from the peninsular or Sabah studying in Sarawak wishing to fly home or Sarawak students in Sabah who want to return to Sarawak, are all eligible for the assistance.

Race or religion are also no barriers, Tan added.

“Muslim students can apply. The students applying also need not be members of the church or are children of church members.”

Tan said neither would the church be asking them their political affiliation.

“We just want to help those in need to get home and do their duty.”

Application closes on Thursday (October 27).

The application has come flooding in with the church having received over 700 applications when it opened yesterday.

The assistance is on a first come, first served basis, Tan said and the church plans to fly everyone home on November 19.

Tan is now appealing for more “kind Malaysians” to be donors.

“We (the church) appeal for generosity so we can help as many students as possible to return home to vote,” he said.

The church however will not accept donations from politicians and political parties. – October 22, 2022.