KUALA LUMPUR – The government has ruled out postponing the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations despite the worsening monsoon floods, with the Education Ministry giving assurances that robust preparedness measures are already in place.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the ministry had activated its annual monsoon response plan early and remained confident that existing standard operating procedures (SOP), logistical arrangements and contingency systems were sufficient to ensure the national examination runs without disruption.
Wong noted that similar concerns were raised during last year’s monsoon, but the ministry successfully executed the examination without major delays or safety incidents.
“Every year we face flood-related issues, and we have long made the necessary preparations to ensure SPM can be conducted smoothly,” he said.
“This same issue arose last year, and we have proven that we are able to ensure our students attend their SPM exams with the existing SOPs.”
He added that the ministry’s emergency mechanism, Operasi Payung, had been fully activated, allowing district and school-level teams to respond immediately by arranging transport, relocating candidates to alternative centres or deploying safety assets if required.
Wong said that as of 5pm yesterday, 317 SPM candidates nationwide had been identified as directly affected by rising floodwaters. The number is expected to fluctuate as rain continues in several states.
Flood Situation Remains Fluid
Several parts of Selangor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor and Sabah have reported new or worsening flood episodes over the past 48 hours, with state disaster committees issuing alerts on potential river overflow and continuous rainfall.
In Selangor, low-lying areas in Shah Alam, Klang, Meru, Kapar and parts of Hulu Langat experienced flash floods after prolonged downpours since yesterday evening. Local councils have deployed pumps, traffic diversions and rapid-response teams as several roads became temporarily impassable.
Meteorologists have warned that the northeast monsoon is expected to intensify through mid-December, prompting the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) to place more districts on standby.
Assurance to Parents and Schools
Despite the unfolding situation, Wong stressed that examinations would not be postponed, but affected students would be given full support to attend their scheduled papers.
“We are confident that with the current SOPs, circulars and the activation of Operasi Payung, we will be able to manage the situation and ensure examinations proceed smoothly,” he said.
Parents and candidates are advised to maintain close communication with school authorities for updates on transportation assistance, relocation of examination centres, or weather-related advisories. -MalayaDailyToday
