According to parents whose children will be sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination in March, the organisers had proceeded with the three-day carnival although the students had just completed their quarantine on Feb 12 after nine positive cases were detected recently.
The carnival, which started yesterday and ends tomorrow, was officiated by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob. Higher education minister Noraini Ahmad also participated in the event.
“The higher education ministry isn’t at all sensitive to the needs of the students who had just finished quarantine, and their comfort as they face the SPM examination,” said a mother who asked to remain anonymous.
“We’re opposing this carnival for the sake of our children’s education. We ask the people of Batu Pahat, Johoreans and the public to boycott this carnival,” said another mother.
Her child is among the 126 students in MRSM Batu Pahat who will be sitting for the SPM. Some of the students had just finished their oral exams for the SPM yesterday.
The parents told FMT that they were informed of the nine Covid-19 cases involving students and teachers on Jan 28.
A social media user stated that the carnival was open to the public with various events lined up, including career and education fairs as well as free health check-ups.
A check by FMT found crowds of visitors at the carnival with masks and face shields, though some were not wearing theirs properly.
At the main tent, where Ismail was supposed to officiate, the seating arrangment was in compliance with physical distancing, but this quickly changed once the prime minister and VIPs arrived, with crowds rushing in the leaders’ direction.
The parents said they had tried expressing their objections to the carnival on Noraini’s social media platforms. They had also initiated an online poll to push for the carnival to be postponed or held somewhere else.
The father of another student who said he found out about the carnival on social media expressed his frustration at the lack of consideration for students sitting for a major examination.
“Imagine the loud noises at the carnival over the next three days. I don’t think the organisers understand (the situation). The children will be preparing for the exam under enormous emotional stress,” he said.