Students of SMK Raja Perempuan waiting to enter the school hall to sit for their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, in Ipoh January 30, 2024. —Picture by Farhan Najib
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Tuesday, 30 Jan 2024 12:56 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 — The written examination for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2023, which began today involving 395,870 candidates, proceeded smoothly in 3,340 examination centres nationwide, including in flood-hit states of Pahang and Terengganu.
Education deputy director-general (school operations sector) Azman Adnan said there have been no reports regarding candidates affected by the disaster.
“So far, the SPM examination is running smoothly and there are no issues with our students being unable to come to the examination centres, even though certain areas in several states are still affected by floods,” he told reporters after visiting Sekolah Tun Fatimah in Johor Bahru, today.
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Commenting on the situation in Johor, Azman said that 18 secondary schools in Batu Pahat, Kluang, Kota Tinggi, Segamat, Kulai and Tangkak are ready to be activated as temporary relief centres in case of flooding.
He also emphasised that the SPM examination process in schools serving as relief centres would continue unaffected, involving 48,426 candidates in 364 centres across 301 schools in the state.
In Pahang, 20,271 candidates sit for the examination in 258 centres statewide, involving 2,184 staff, including 274 volunteers. There were no reports of examination centres being affected by the floods, said state Education director Amzan Abd Malek.
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In Terengganu, state Education director Jelani Sulong said the Education Department is constantly monitoring weather developments and is well-prepared to activate Ops Payung should schools involved in the examination be impacted by floods.
In Kelantan, state Education Department director Datuk Mohd Zamri Abdul Aziz said seven alternative examination centres have been arranged for SPM and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) candidates in the event of floods.
“They comprised six schools in Pasir Mas and one in Tumpat, which are prone to flooding. It is estimated that over 600 candidates might be affected if their schools are inundated,” he told reporters after visiting Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Dato’ Ahmad Maher in Kota Bharu.
Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur Education Department director Roslan Abu Hassan said that the SPM examination involved 19,765 candidates, with 15,817 from government schools, government agency schools (240), private schools (2,500) and private candidates (1,208).
Speaking to reporters at SMK Agama Kuala Lumpur, he said the SPM examination, which started with the oral and listening tests last month, has been proceeding smoothly, with no students affected by any disasters so far.
In Putrajaya, Education Department director Ezaiddin Hussain said 1,907 candidates have registered for SPM 2023, with 18 students being candidates with special education needs.
“So far, one of our students involved in a car accident is taking the exam in the hospital with a fractured arm,” he added.
In Negeri Sembilan, Education deputy director-general (policy and curriculum sector) Dr Ahmad Rafee Che Kassim said 15,977 candidates are sitting for the examination in the state.
In Selangor, a total of 72,929 candidates, including private candidates, have registered for SPM 2023, involving 491 examination centres and 8,046 appointed examination officers, said state Education Department deputy director (learning sector) Hanisah Mohd Ali.
She advised candidates to inform their respective schools or the State Education Office operations room at 03-5518 6114 if they cannot attend the examination centres due to disasters.
Meanwhile, in Melaka, a total of 12,900 students are sitting for SPM at 103 centres across the state, including 65 candidates with special needs, while four candidates are taking the examination in hospitals due to health issues.
At the same time, 29,044 candidates in Kedah are reminded to prioritise their health and safety throughout the examination period, said state Education Department director Ismail Othman.
A total of 3,455 candidates in Perlis, 31,411 in Perak, 18,837 in Penang, and 38,778 in Sabah are also sitting for the examination. — Bernama