Health committee chairman Norlela Ariffin said the children, who were all still schooling, comprised 171 from Seberang Perai and 128 from the island.

She said there had been cases of children dropping out of school just a year shy of their fifth form to take care of their younger siblings.

Norlela said the children were not taken into the custody of the social welfare department as they were under the care of their extended families.

For the time being, she said, a state-level committee was being formed to help them.

She was responding to questions from Ong Ah Teong (PH-Batu Lancang), Azrul Mahathir Abd Aziz (PH-Bayan Lepas) and Mohd Yusni Mat Piah (PAS-Penaga) over children losing their parents because of Covid-19 in the state.

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