PUTRAJAYA: Students must take care of their health amid the haze, which is posing challenges to the learning process, says Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek.
The Education Minister said the current conditions required greater observation and foresight to navigate the challenges faced by the education sector.
“I want to take this opportunity to remind students to take care of their health, as the haze is presenting us with a challenge, particularly in carrying out the learning process today.
“Hopefully, the haze will clear soon and conditions will return to normal, so that we can carry out our duties together,” she said when officiating the national Education Ministry (MOE) PETAH 2026 ceremony on Monday (Oct 12).
On Wednesday (Oct 7), the Education Ministry said all state Education Departments, district Education Offices and educational institutions under the ministry had been told to take immediate steps if the haze worsens in their area.
It said they should implement the preventive measures listed in the ministry's Circular No. 5 of 2016: School Preparations Regarding the Welfare, Health and Safety of Students During Prolonged Hot and Dry Weather and Circular No. 1 of 2019: Measures by the Ministry of Education Malaysia to Ensure the Health and Safety of Students in Schools Located in Areas Affected by Critical Haze Conditions.
Meanwhile, she said the ministry is looking at elevating the PETAH programme in the future to develop students' talents and skills.
She said the initiative could provide students with further opportunities to contribute to efforts to elevate Bahasa Melayu, English and other skills.
“PETAH serves as a platform to identify and nurture local talent, and the ministry and schools have a responsibility to continue developing students' abilities,” she said.
She also stressed that education should extend beyond the curriculum to focus on students' confidence and ability to apply what they had learnt.
She congratulated teachers for supporting and training students, saying their efforts were crucial in helping children develop their abilities.
The MOE PETAH 2026 programme is a national-level initiative organised by the ministry to enhance proficiency in Bahasa Melayu and strengthen English language skills among members of the education community.
Themed “Language Arts as a Vehicle for Mandani Unity”, the programme emphasises language proficiency through various competitions, including public speaking in Bahasa Melayu, pantun recitation, public speaking in English, choral speaking, Malaysian rhythmic singing and the production of creative works.
Meanwhile, in the same ceremony, prizes were presented in two categories, Bahasa Melayu and English, with each category recognising the best 2026 Madani generation debater and the best Education Minister’s Cup debater.
In the English debate category, Pahang emerged as the winning team, taking home both the best 2026 Madani generation debater and Education Minister’s Cup debater titles.
In the Bahasa Melayu category, Kedah won the Education Minister’s Cup debater title, while runner-up Selangor took home the best 2026 Madani generation debater title.
