TEACHERS caught vaping or smoking within school premises may soon face punitive action, including being fined up to RM10,000 or jailed for up to two years, says Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek (pic).
She said her ministry would not tolerate teachers using vapes, especially openly or in front of students, as this violated the Malaysian Teacher Standards, which emphasise the role of teachers as models of good character.
“Teachers found vaping or smoking within school premises may be fined up to RM10,000 or imprisonment of up to two years, in accordance with the Smoking Products Control Act for Public Health 2024,” she said in a written reply to Nurul Amin Hamid (PN-Padang Terap).
Nurul Amin had asked the ministry to state the measures taken to curb the culture of vaping among school students, alleging that some teachers were openly vaping.
Fadhlina said her ministry was also in the process of amending the Education (Student Discipline) Regulations to include a ban on smoking, which covers all forms of cigarettes, devices, electronic tools and liquids related to vape.
“This new amendment is in line with the enforcement of the Smoking Products Control Act for Public Health 2024, which was gazetted by the Health Ministry on Oct 1, 2024.
“This prohibition includes the sale of vape products to those under the age of 18 and enforcement actions against premises selling vape within 40m of a school boundary or fence,” she said.
In another written reply, Fadhlina said the proposal for a single university entrance exam for STPM, matriculation and foundation students applying to public universities required careful consideration.
This is because the proposal involves multiple ministries, differing academic structures and varied assessment methods.
“Any changes must undergo in-depth study and comprehensive evaluation to remain aligned with the Education Ministry’s commitment to providing fair and quality access to education for all students, regardless of their background,” she told Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan).
Lim had asked whether a single common public examination could be implemented for all STPM, matriculation and foundation programmes when applying for places in public institutions of higher learning (IPTA), instead of the current practice of having three different examinations, in order to establish a more accurate and consistent basis for performance comparison aligned with excellence standards.
Fadhlina said the implementation of the admission system to IPTA was an important aspect in assessing students’ potential holistically, taking into account a balance between academic excellence and holistic development.
“Various educational pathways such as STPM, STAM, Foundation programmes and Matriculation programmes have been established to provide broader options for SPM leavers, in line with their individual inclinations and potential.
“Therefore the assessment approaches used also differ, in accordance with the objectives and direction of the respective programmes,” she said.
