‘Sit for SPM exams at nearest school’

KUALA LUMPUR: SPM candidates affected by floods in Penang have been allowed to sit for their papers at the school nearest to their homes.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk P. Kamalanathan said the Education Ministry was able to relocate all Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidates to the nearest examination centre or school.

“The problem was there was no way for the students to come to school because of the floods,” he told reporters after handing out prizes at Alliance Bank’s AEIOU Challenge 2 here yesterday.

He said the heavy rains and bad traffic posed a major problem to the students.

The ministry also worked together with agencies like the police and fire department to get the examination officers through the floods, he said.

Kamalanathan also said the affected students could continue sitting for their SPM examinations at these schools until further announcement.

“It is a day-to-day thing. If the weather is okay tomorrow, we will get them back to where they are supposed to be sitting for their exams.

According to a report from the Penang State Education Depart­ment, boats were kept at the ready to ferry students to school with priority given to SPM and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) candidates from SMK Abdullah Munshi in George Town.

Kamalanathan also said 27 candidates from nine schools sat for their papers in SMK Teluk Bahang.

These schools were not affected by floods but a landslide had cut the students off from their schools. The schools are SMJK Perempuan Cina, SMJK Chung Ling, SMJK Union, SMK Convent Pulau Tikus, SMJK Chung Hwa, Penang Free School, SMK Tanjong Bunga, SMK (P) Methodist and SMK (P) St George.