SUNGAI BESAR: The Education Ministry (MoE) has denied any plan to build and relocate 10 Chinese national-type primary schools (SJKCs) as reported by the media recently.
Deputy Education Minister 1 Muslimin Yahaya said the ministry had never issued any statement or news on the matter.
“I was informed that the plan to build and relocate the schools (SJKCs) is ‘old news’.
“It is an old issue that is being played up. I am worried that this could evoke racist sentiments.
At ministry level, we have not issued any statement,” he told reporters after launching the Sabak Bernam District Anti-Drug Squad here yesterday, where the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) director-general Datuk Seri Zulkifli Abdullah was also present.
Muslimin said this when asked to comment by the Peninsular Malay Students Association (GPMS), who called upon the ministry to explain the matter.
Commenting on sports and co-curricular activities allowed to be held outside classrooms beginning Sept 1, Muslimin said the MoE was ready with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) approved by the National Security Council.
However, the Sungai Besar MP said any sports tournament at school, district or state level was still prohibited until the end of the year.
“For now, the ministry only allows e-sports tournaments, as it can be run virtually or online; other sports events such as identifying new talents in sports have been postponed for this year,” he said.
In his speech, Zulkifli said Sabak Bernam was one of the 12 areas nationwide selected for the AADK’s pilot project meant to fight drug abuse and other social problems.
“The pilot project, which started in July 2019 involving the participation of 10 ministries and 15 agencies, was aimed at eradicating drug and substance abuse and social problems, in an integrated manner in these high-risk areas,” he said. — Bernama