THE Ministry of Education (MOE) is making early preparations for the 2026/2027 Northeast Monsoon, including relocating Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidates in flood-prone areas to boarding schools to ensure they can sit their examinations without disruption.
Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek said students identified as being at risk of flooding would be moved to schools with hostel facilities as part of the ministry's preparedness measures.
She said the early relocation was intended to prevent disruptions to learning and examinations amid unpredictable weather and flooding conditions.
"We have also implemented the relocation of students to hostels to ensure there are no disruptions.
"Overall, preparations are in order and we are ready to face these challenges," she told reporters after the launch of the Selangor and Perak STEM Education Pilot Project at Sekolah Kebangsaan Hutan Melintang in Bagan Datuk today.
Fadhlina said the ministry was also coordinating preparations with the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), focusing on states potentially affected by the monsoon.
These include Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perak, as well as flood-prone areas in Penang, while preparations in Sabah had begun earlier.
She said state education directors had also taken early measures to ensure all requirements could be coordinated in the event of flooding.
"Preparations by the state education directors were also made much earlier. So far, I am satisfied with the measures taken.
"We are ready and hopefully everything will remain under control," she said.
Fadhlina also reminded SPM candidates to prioritise their safety during floods and expressed hope that they would be able to sit their examinations smoothly.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi reportedly said students identified as living in areas at risk of severe flooding during the 2026/2027 Northeast Monsoon would be relocated to boarding schools to ensure they could sit the SPM examination.
Zahid, who is also NADMA chairman, said the matter had been discussed with Fadhlina at a Cabinet meeting to ensure preparations for potential flooding, particularly involving examination candidates, were made well in advance. - November 2, 2026
