The Malaysian government will announce details of federal assistance for Tamil-medium schools in about two weeks, new agencies reported.
Citing Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at a carnival in Melaka late last week, they reported that the government would continue to ensure that the needs of all communities and education streams in the country were addressed fairly, without marginalising any group.
“For the country to remain peaceful, we must look after everyone,” he said, Bernama reported. He added that assistance for Islamic educational institutions did not mean the government was neglecting vernacular schools.
“Many students in pondok schools and tahfiz institutions had long been neglected and received no assistance, so we have increased the allocations. The assistance and programmes for Chinese and Tamil schools have already been scheduled, and the announcement will be made in Kuala Lumpur in about two weeks,” he said.
“Schools such as Chinese and Tamil schools continue to be well-managed,” he said. Pondok schools and tahfiz institutions are religious schools where instruction where instruction is in Malay and Arabic.
Meanwhile, digital minister Gobind Singh Deo said in a Facebook post that the government will continue to empower Tamil schools (SJKT) to ensure every child receives the best educational opportunities. He added the SJKT is not merely an educational institution, but also plays a vital role in fostering learning, culture, and identity among students.
He added that from 2023 to 2026, a total of RM237.48 million (S$74.3 million) as been allocated for maintenance work, upgrades, and the construction of new facilities for Tamil schools nationwide. – AGENCIES
