Multiple reminders issued on cash handling, Fadhlina says on stolen early school aid

KUALA LUMPUR – The school, which was at the centre of a theft case involving RM109,000 in early schooling aid (BAP) funds earlier this year, purportedly disregarded multiple reminders to adhere to procedures pertaining to the handling of large sums of money. 

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said her ministry had written a letter providing explanation and information on the management of BAP funds to state education departments and district education officers on December 29 last year.

In a written parliamentary reply, she noted that a copy of a financial circular on early schooling aid was also attached in the letter. 

The circular, among others, states that school headmasters or principals who make fund withdrawals of up to RM10,000 must be accompanied by two other teachers, while those above RM10,000 must be escorted by police. 

This is in line with the Treasury directive on cash handling responsibilities, she said. 

She added that a separate briefing session on the implementation of BAP for 2023 was conducted on January 11 this year.

“The Education Ministry always gives briefing on a continuous basis to ensure headmasters and principals abide by procedures in managing cash in schools.”

Fadhlina said this in response to questions from Jamaludin Yahya (Pasir Salak-PN) on what measures are being taken by the ministry in relation to the recent theft case, and whether it is considering amending existing procedures to ensure similar cases do not repeat. 

To this, she said the Education Ministry is currently in the midst of reviewing a proposal to credit BAP funds directly into a student’s account. 

“This suggestion is to ensure such incidents do not happen again. 

“However, this proposal must take into account the readiness of banks and the difficulties that some students in rural areas might face, where they are required to spend a lot of money in order to conduct bank transactions.”

Meanwhile, Fadhlina noted that the Finance Ministry had given approval to reimburse the lost funds, and that the money was transferred into the school’s bank account on February 3, which benefited 729 students from the school. 

Previously in January, it was reported that a headmaster of a primary school in Semenyih had withdrawn the RM109,000 from a bank there and placed it in a bag in the front passenger seat of his car while he went to a nearby shop to buy a drink. 

When he returned to his car afterwards, the windscreen on the rear passenger side was broken and the bag containing the cash was missing.

According to Kajang district police chief Mohd Zaid Hassan, the 50-year-old headmaster said that it was normal for him to make such a transaction without a police escort.

Fadhlina later confirmed that the principal had breached standard operating procedures for cash withdrawals for official use by not having a police officer or another teacher with him.

Police had said then that they were investigating the matter and did not rule out the possibility of an inside job. – The Vibes, April 8, 2023