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No Vernacular Schools Will Be Closed, Malaysia Assures
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Culture & Society

No Vernacular Schools Will Be Closed, Malaysia Assures

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Malaysia's Ministry of Education assures that no Chinese or Tamil vernacular schools will be closed under the current government.
  • The government is committed to maintaining all existing schools, including vernacular ones, and plans to increase funding for Tamil schools.
  • A 76-year-old Tamil school, SJKT Rajaji, will be relocated to a new, larger site to provide a more comfortable learning environment.

Malaysia's Ministry of Education has reiterated its commitment to preserving all vernacular schools, including Chinese (SJKC) and Tamil (SJKT) primary schools. Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh stated that the current Madani government guarantees no such schools will be shut down, emphasizing their crucial role in the nation's educational landscape.

The commitment from the Madani government, under the current administration and governance, is that we guarantee that no school, whether it is a national school, SJKC, or SJKT, will be closed.

— Wong Kah WohDeputy Education Minister assuring the public about the status of vernacular schools.

"We want to maintain all the schools we have," Wong said, encouraging school communities to focus on development with the government's assurance. This commitment is backed by increased funding for Tamil vernacular schools. The allocation for maintenance of SJKTs nationwide has risen to RM50 million this year, a significant jump from RM20 million previously. The ministry is finalizing the specific amounts to be distributed to each school.

In a concrete example of this commitment, the 76-year-old SJKT Rajaji, with about 100 students, will be relocated to a new 0.9-hectare site in Farlim. This move aims to provide a more conducive learning environment. The new school building is expected to be completed within 18 months, with operations potentially starting by the 2029 school session.

We want to maintain all the schools we have. So, with the confidence (guarantee) from the government, school communities and school boards should be able to focus on the development of their respective schools (henceforth).

— Wong Kah WohEncouraging school communities to focus on development following the government's guarantee.

Furthermore, 22 government-aided SJKTs in Penang will receive new furniture and equipment worth over RM1.156 million, funded by the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (MITRA). The distribution process is expected to begin within one to two months after each school's needs are assessed.

Currently, KPM is finalizing the amount of allocation to be channeled to each school with further announcements to be made from time to time.

— Wong Kah WohProviding details on the allocation of funds for Tamil schools.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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