KUALA LUMPUR – Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi threw a wet blanket on the government's plan to reopen schools next month, warning that students are yet to be vaccinated and Covid-19 daily infections are still at an alarming level.
Urging newly minted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration to reconsider the move, Zahid said Putrajaya must tread carefully as it involves the safety and lives of millions of children and educators.
“Don’t ever take a risk we are unsure of. There is no need to rush. Avoid making the same mistake again,” he said in a social media post today.
Zahid, who is Bagan Datuk MP and a former deputy prime minister, said that there are plenty of matters that still need ironing out as things stand, particularly as school students are yet to be immunised.
He said even if standard operating procedures are tightened, whether they will be effective in protecting the students remains a question.
“It must be remembered that on April 26, the Health Ministry revealed that 23,739 students aged below 12 had contracted Covid-19. Based on this, the ministry admitted how easy it is for the virus to spread in schools.
“At that time, the daily infection number was only around 2,000 cases. Today, we are recording over 18,000 cases daily, with no signs of improvement,” he noted.
Education Minister Datuk Radzi Jidin had on August 15 announced that schools will reopen in stages beginning October 3, with priority given to exam year students in Form Five and Six.
However, schools in Phase 1 states under the National Recovery Plan will remain closed.
Schools were initially scheduled to reopen on September 1, but the raging pandemic has forced the government to postpone resumption of physical classes by month.
Last night, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad had announced that students of higher learning institutions will be allowed to return to campuses for the 2021/2022 academic session through its recovery plan starting next month.
She said that the move to reopen all institutions under all phases of the NRP is in line with efforts to enable students to return to their campuses after they have been fully vaccinated, as announced by Ismail Sabri on August 22.
Zahid said no parents would be willing to send their children to school if there is a health risk, especially if the SOPs in place are not convincing enough.
“As such, the government must ensure that the decision and subsequent measures (in sending the children to schools) beginning October is the right and accurate one.
“Use your past experiences as a yardstick in making the best decision,” he said. – The Vibes, September 4, 2021
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