[UPDATED] MoE extends canteen rent exemption until June: Radzi

KOTA BHARU – The Education Ministry (MoE) has agreed to give rent exemption to school canteens for six months starting from January to June this year.

Education Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin said the rent exemption extension is also extended to rented premises such as bookshops, cooperatives, laundry shops and vending machines in schools under MoE.

“We have received many applications from canteen operators earlier for rent exemption.

“Therefore, we have made the decision to give an exemption on canteen rent for six months from January to June including premises inside a school compound,” he told reporters after visiting Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sultan Ismail to look into its operation, here today.

Earlier Radzi visited Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Zainab 1 and SK Zainab 2 in conjunction with the operation of schools in Kelantan for the third term of 2021/2022.

Meanwhile, when asked whether the rotation method will continue, Radzi said MoE will take a progressive and careful approach before making a decision.

“If possible MoE would not want the rotation method but considering the current situation on the spread of Covid-19 including the Omicron variant, we feel the method should be studied from time to time,” he said.

Radzi also stressed that parents who do not allow their children to be present in school to inform the school authorities for further action.

“MoE is open on parents who do not want their children to be present in school but they need to have valid reasons for not sending their children to school.

“This is to facilitate the school management, District Education Office and State Education Department to identify problems faced by the pupils involved,” he said.

A total of 1.18 million students in group A namely Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu started their schooling session today for the third term of 2021/2022.

Group B schools in Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya will start schooling tomorrow, on January 10. – Bernama, January 9, 2022