Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin – Bernama photo
KUCHING: Schools in the country will stay closed until after the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) is effectively overcome, said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
“We may have to postpone the schooling session for the time being until we are very sure the situation has returned to normal.
“In the meantime, our school children would have to have their learning sessions at home. I have asked the Ministry of Education to implement home based learning initiative during this Movement Control Order (MCO) period, and maybe for subsequent longer period until the schools are safe to be reopen,” he said in a special address today to announce the extension of the MCO from April 15 to 28.
Muhyiddin said that he had read comments from parents on Facebook wanting the schools closure to be extended as they worry over safety of their children.
“I also have grandchildren who are still in school. Like all of you, I am also worried. Everyone loves their children, and the love is deeper for grandchildren,” he said.
The Prime Minister also reminded Malaysians that they now had to embrace the ‘new normal’ as their life in the next few months or even coming years would not be as normal as before.
He said this ‘new normal’ includes the way that people greet other as they can not shake hands as what they used to do in order to avoid contracting the coronavirus.
“Maybe we just need to nod to each other as a respectful way of greeting one another. This is ‘the new normal’.
“Same goes with another habit which we were not used to before like washing our hands. For now and in the future, we must get used to washing our hands more often, either by soap or hand sanitiser. The same goes with the wearing of face masks.
“There are other examples which I will not mention because I believe all of you now understand the new normal which we must practice daily for this period of time,” he said.