Negeri Sembilan adds RM150k to aid STPM, STAM students
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun said that the additional allocation - RM100,000 for STPM students and RM50,000 for STAM students - will be channelled through various initiatives, including teacher empowerment programmes and the implementation of community tuition classes at selected schools, to ensure that no student is left behind.
'This will contribute to improving education across the state through community tuition, which in turn helps enhance student excellence,' he told reporters after attending the 2024 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Academic Excellence Awards ceremony, here, today.
As for SPM students, the state government has allocated RM500,000 last year to ensure excellence in the examination through various initiatives, including providing tuition and strengthening the teachers involved in SPM subjects.
He added that, to maintain the high standard of education in the state, Yayasan Negeri Sembilan has taken the initiative to implement seven programmes aimed at strengthening SPM elective subjects, which are expected to improve the SPM State Average Grade next year.
He said that these programmes were carefully planned, to ensure that both students and teachers received optimal support in preparing for the 2025 SPM examination, particularly in elective subjects, which require a specialised approach.
In a separate matter, Aminuddin said that the state government would address the stray dog issue in accordance with the laws and procedures set by the local authorities (PBT).
'We will identify areas with stray dogs, capture them, and keep them at a designated location for a period. During this time, individuals or NGOs can adopt them; otherwise, they will be disposed of according to established procedures,' he said.
He was responding to questions about the method of disposing of stray dogs, which had previously sparked strong opposition from various groups.
The Port Dickson MP also said that the state government had previously provided land to NGOs to manage and spay stray dogs, but this initiative was seen as ineffective, with the number of stray dogs continuing to rise, especially in housing estates.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Another betrayal
THERE has been another shocking — but increasingly unsurprising — revelation about betrayal by ro gue immigration and military officers. Will this ever end? It's unpredictable, given the insatiable greed and easy illicit money to be made. In the latest expose, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission snared five military officers and five civilians in the Klang Valley over links to a smuggling syndicate in the southern region that trafficke d prohibited goods, drugs and cigarettes. In another round-up, four immigration officers at the Johor Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex were arrested for being part of a "flying passport" conspiracy that "cle are d" foreign passports in absentia of holders for entry and exit stamps for fees of RM500 to RM2,000. Once stamped, the passport is returned by courier to the owner, who now holds a document stating "le gal" cross-border movement. This opens the risk to human trafficking and terrorism. No amount of outrage and calls for full transparency by the powers that be is assuring, given the consistency of criminal collusion by the very people entrusted to safeguard our country. Alarmingly, allies and whistleblowers may be hesitant to divulge intelligence in future for fear of exposure. The compromises are obvious: criminals develop counter-measures to beat the system while creating new financial rewards to tempt rogue government officers. It's easy to say that rogue officers can be controlled through prevention, accountability, monitoring, and enforcement, but these measures alone do not eliminate the urge for corruption. There have been examples of the corrupt getting their comeuppance. Sudden transfers of senior officers, continuous surveillance, spot checks, denial of access and using technology to cut interference and opportunities for abuse. All to no avail. Every time rogue government leaders and officers are caught, a new generation takes over. It's like the Greek mythological monster Hydra of Lerna, a nine-headed serpent with regenerative abilities. When one head is severed, two grow back. Malaysia's "Hydra of Corruption" is a complex, multi-headed and entrenched network almost impossible to dismantle. Graft busters need to be ruthless. For starters, hold immediate supervisors accountable for their officers' roguishness, like demotions and immediate transfers. An overhaul to phase out impunity and reinforce ethics will be unpopular, but it is needed. In the meantime, the government should focus on systemic reforms, prevention, transparency, accountability and public par ticipation. These are doable solutions, but slow and re - gaining loss in public trust not a guarantee. To really flush out the rot, the government should introduce anti- corruption syllabus in schools. Teach, instruct and nurture kids to detest corruption like they hate slow Internet speed or having their smartphones and tablets taken away.
Focus Malaysia
4 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
Where were you when…?
THERE'S a question that often arises when something big happens — a historic moment, a national milestone, a collective high. It usually begins like this: 'Where were you when…?' Most of the time, it's not about geography. It's about memory. About anchoring ourselves to something larger. About remembering not just what happened, but how it made us feel. For me, one such moment was the night of the 1992 Thomas Cup finals. Malaysia versus Indonesia. Badminton, of course. It was a Saturday, and I was a 17-year-old schoolboy at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar. I watched it from the common room of our hostel, surrounded by boys in kain pelikat, clutching pillows, Milo mugs and SPM notes, all eyes fixed on a grainy television screen that struggled to keep up with the speed of the shuttle. We won. We brought the cup home after 25 years. And for a few beautiful hours, everything else faded—prep class, homesickness, SPM trial stress—replaced by a kind of joy that felt bigger than sport. Bigger than school. Something national, something shared. That moment, and others like it, become personal chapters in a larger story: the story of how we remember Malaysia. Another such chapter came in May 2018, when Malaysians went to the polls in what would become one of the most significant general elections in our history. For the first time, the ruling coalition was changed. Not through force, not through upheaval, but through the quiet, determined power of the vote. People queued in the heat, some for hours. Some travelled across borders, taking buses and flights home just to mark an X on a ballot. There was tension, yes. But there was also something else: hope. Hope that this country belonged to its people. That we were no longer just passengers, but co-pilots. That power could change hands peacefully. That we, the rakyat, are the ones responsible in deciding the direction of this country moving forward. You didn't need to be in Putrajaya or Dataran Merdeka to feel it. You could have been watching from a living room in Penang, or a mamak in Johor Bahru, or a hostel room in Sarawak. It didn't matter where you were; because the moment definitely reached you. That's what makes these memories powerful. They become shared reference points in the timeline of our lives. Of course, not every Merdeka memory is tied to politics or spectacle. Sometimes, it's quieter. A flag being raised in your neighbourhood. A conversation over teh tarik about what independence really means. A late-night drive on empty roads, with patriotic songs playing softly on the radio. These small moments matter too. Because nationhood is built not just on events, but on experience. It's not just the milestones we remember; it's the way they made us feel connected. Even when we were far apart. And that's the thread I keep coming back to: our shared experiences. You and I may have grown up in different towns, spoken different dialects, attended different schools. But the moment the Sidek brothers stepped onto the court, or when the results rolled in after GE14; we were there, in spirit, together. And yet, these memories, whether personal or collective, are slowly fading. We live in a time of fast timelines and short attention spans. Moments come and go, swallowed by algorithm and speed. The things that once glued us together are being replaced by smaller, more personalised stories. Of course they are important, yes, but they are also often disconnected from the whole. That's why I believe now, more than ever, we need to start recording our stories. Not for history books, but for each other. For the generations who didn't grow up with the Thomas Cup, or the Reformasi years, or who never saw a transfer of power that felt truly earned. It doesn't have to be big. Just honest. Write about where you were when something mattered. Tell your children what Merdeka meant to your parents. Share with a friend that memory you've always carried but never voiced. Because if we don't pass these stories on, who will? So this Merdeka, ask someone: 'Where were you when…?' and listen carefully. Then share your own. Memory, like nationhood, lives best when it is passed from hand to hand. ‒ Aug 14, 2025 Ir Dr Nahrizul Adib Kadri is a professor of biomedical engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, and the Principal of Ibnu Sina Residential College, Universiti Malaya. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image: NST
Focus Malaysia
5 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
Harsh vaping penalties for teachers: A balanced approach needed
EDUCATION Minister Fadhlina Sidek recently announced a proposal to impose fines of up to RM10,000 or imprisonment of up to two years for teachers caught vaping or smoking on school grounds, which is in line with the Smoking Products Control Act for Public Health 2024. While MCA fully supports the principle that teachers must serve as role models for Malaysian children and youth, such measures must not overlook the broader context of teacher welfare and the many other pressing issues within our education system that demand urgent attention. Maintaining discipline in schools is important. However, imposing heavy fines and imprisonment as the implied first and only option for vaping offences among already overburdened and under-rewarded teachers appears disproportionate. In some cases, vaping may be an unhealthy coping mechanism for stress rather than a deliberate act of defiance against professional standards. According to April 2024 data from the Khazanah Research Institute, Malaysian graduates in education are earning significantly less than they did a decade ago. Nearly three-quarters of education graduates earn below RM2,000, with only a small fraction exceeding RM3,000. With the rising cost of living, economic hardship, and the daily demands of teaching, teachers are under immense strain and may seek other ways to cope with stress. In the Dewan Rakyat in 2023, deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh reported that 6,394 teachers went on early retirement—an increase from the previous year where 5,306 left the profession. Moreover, according to the Education Ministry in a Parliamentary written reply on June 26 last year, the majority of teachers left early because they were uninterested in their roles. Other factors were family, health, job duties and personal reasons. These exoduses indicate that more must be done to improve the welfare of teachers to propel them to remain in the teaching profession. Making criminals out of teachers simply for vaping are counter-productive to boosting teacher morale. At the same time, schools face far more serious challenges—such as teacher shortage, bullying, sexual predation, molestation, and many others—that present a far greater threat to student wellbeing than a teacher vaping on school grounds. These critical issues require urgent, sustained attention and resources from the Education Ministry, yet they often remain under-addressed. A more balanced approach is needed. MCA advocates for disciplinary measures that include counselling, mandatory training, or suspension before considering custodial sentences. Equally, the government should invest more in supporting teachers' mental health, raising remuneration, and improving working conditions to reduce the underlying pressures that may contribute to such behaviour. To truly uphold the no-vaping policy in schools, enforcement must be fair, proportionate, and part of a broader strategy that safeguards both student welfare and the wellbeing of our educators. ‒ Aug 14, 2025 Felicia Wong Yin Ting is the MCA education consultative committee deputy chairperson. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image: 2Firsts
