Early Schooling Special Aid Distributed From Today

Datuk Ahmad Yakob and Tan Sri Muhyiddin YassinKOTA BAHARU, Jan 6 (Bernama) -- The Early Schooling Special Aid of RM100 for each student will be distributed beginning Tuesday, and parents can claim for the aid from their children's schools.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the Education Minister, said a total of 5.6 million students would receive the aid involving an allocation of RM560 million.

"We have given the warrants to each state, so the respective State (Education) Director and the District Education Office (PPD) will be given the allocation according to the number of students," he told reporters after chairing the Kelantan State Post-Flood Coordination Action Plan meeting, here.

Also present were Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob and the Chairman of the Kelantan Flood Disaster Committee Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.

Muhyiddin said for schools that could not be used after being affected by the floods, parents must go to the school nearby to collect the cash aid.

"If it involves a school that had been submerged by flood waters or is being occupied by flood victims and is still not opened, the process of payment will be made at schools which are not affected by any problem.

"We will use the school hall and parents can go to the nearest school to claim the cash immediately, the directive has been issued," he said.

He also said that the ministry would ensure that the school session for the year 2015 in Kelantan could commence according to the schedule set.

"We have an option whereby if any school cannot be used, the students can go to the nearest school to share (classrooms), if there is no space, the lessons will be postponed briefly and only in special cases.

"Ninety schools in Kelantan are affected by the floods and so far, 30 per cent have been cleaned for commencement of the new schooling session," he said.

The schooling session for the year 2015 in Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Johor begins on Jan 11, 2015 (Sunday), while for the other states the new schooling session is Jan 12, 2015 (Monday).

-- BERNAMA