KUALA LUMPUR: As of February this year, there is a total of 4.86 million National Education Savings Scheme (SSPN) and SSPN-i Plus accounts involving a total savings of RM8.28 billion since it was established in 2004.

National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) chief executive officer Ahmad Dasuki Abdul Majid said this proved that the scheme was increasingly becoming parents’ main choice of education savings plan for their children.

He said the introduction of prize draws since 2015 had also contributed to the increase in the number of depositors.

"Since the introduction of the lucky draw in 2015 until February, a total of 636,496 accounts with savings of RM645.9 million had been opened by depositors," he said in a speech at the Cabutan WOW! SSPN-i Plus 2020 prize-giving ceremony, here, yesterday.

Earlier, Pahang Matriculation College lecturer Sonita Sudin, 43, won first prize in the annual draw, taking home a Mercedes Benz C200 FL AMG Line car.

Describing the victory as something unexpected, the mother of three encouraged more parents to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the government to save for their children’s future.

-- BERNAMA