JOHOR BARU – The decision by the Election Commission (EC) to use 147 secondary schools in the state as polling centres for the Johor election will not affect the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, which begins today.
Senior Education Minister Datuk Radzi Jidin said the classrooms used for polling would not include the examination rooms.
“Prior to this, we discussed with the EC whether it was possible to not use the secondary schools, but due to certain constraints, 147 schools will have to be used.
“So the decision was made that even if the schools are used, it will not affect the examination rooms.
“Although it is difficult as almost all rooms are being used to ensure physical distancing (among the SPM candidates), the EC has a method and is doing its best to ensure the examination proceeds in a smooth and orderly manner,” he said after visiting SMK Kota Masai 2 on the first day of the examination here today.
Radzi said sanitisation would also be carried out as soon as the polling process ends to ensure the areas are decontaminated and safe.
The written SPM 2021 examination runs from today until March 29, while the Johor election is on March 12, with early voting on March 8.
Last February, Radzi said the ministry was of the stand that secondary schools in Johor should not be used as polling centres as it did not want preparations for the SPM examination that had already been arranged to be disrupted. – Bernama, March 2, 2022
