KUALA LUMPUR — The Education Ministry will consider holding the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination outside of the year-end monsoon season.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry had received this proposal and will study it, acknowledging that the current timing of the exams tend to coincide with major flooding.
Floods in several states this year, especially in Kelantan and Terengganu, are said to be the worst since 2014.
Despite this, the Education Ministry pushed ahead with holding the SPM Bahasa Malaysia oral exam today using standard operating procedures (SOP) it prepared in advance to evacuate and relocate flood-affected students to dormitories to ensure they can sit for their exams.
This drew a few brickbats from social media users who panned the ministry for failing to understand the difficulties students in flood-stricken areas face.
Fadhlina today said the ministry will still consider the proposal to conduct the SPM outside the monsoon season because many had expressed their conners.
“We will take this into account and will review it from time to time, as it reflects the concerns of the public,” she said during a visit to the Pasir Mas district education office in Kelantan today, as reported by New Straits Times.
Previously, Fadhlina in a statement said there were 5,377 SPM candidates were affected by floods in three states – Kelantan, Kedah, and Terengganu – and that preparations had been made for them to proceed with the exam.
She also said that the SPM oral exam was held smoothly today, and that despite floods in several areas, no SPM candidate was “left behind”.
There are 402,956 candidates taking the SPM this year.
The examination kicks off with the Bahasa Malaysia oral exam today until Dec 5, followed by the Science Practical Examination from Dec 9 to 12, and the English Language Oral Examination from Dec 16 to 19.
Malay and English Listening Tests are scheduled for Dec 31, and written examination sessions are from Jan 2 to Feb 6. – December 2, 2024