ATM helps send 141 SPM candidates to school in two trucks

KOTA BHARU - The Education Ministry with the help of the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), managed to transport 141 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2021 candidates at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Seri Kiambang, Pasir Mas, to their exam centre as road to access the centre was submerged under flood water.

Education deputy director-general (Policy and Curriculum Sector) Datuk Pkharuddin Ghazali said the ministry had worked together with the ATM to mobilise two three-tonne trucks to transport the candidates back and forth to the centre.

“We picked up the students from the main road and send them directly to SMK Seri Kiambang.

“We will provide this service until the road can be accessed as usual,” he told reporters while he was observing the first day of the examination at SMK Zainab on Wednesday.

He said ATM personnel will take turns on duty (for the operation) until the situation returned to how it was before.

This, he said will give the candidates confidence to step into the examination hall with ease of mind.

Phakaruddin said he hoped that this will help keep the candidates' spirits up to sit for the exams as best as they can, after delays due to the pandemic.

"The ministry takes seriously the 3 C's (Closed spaces, Crowded places and Close-contact settings) aspect for the wellbeing of the SPM candidates.

"These three elements need to be done by us to ensure that they are emotionally healthy," he said.

In another development, Phakaruddin said a total of 27,372 candidates throughout the state will be sitting for their SPM examinations starting Wednesday.

He said 283 exam centres in the state were involved.