Ikatan Guru-Guru Muslim Malaysia president Azizee Hasan said schools should obtain the parents’ approval first before holding such extravagant ceremonies.

He said the schools could also look for sponsors to help defray the costs.

“It would also be a good idea to hold these graduation ceremonies in the school or at public venues, with catering costs kept reasonable by relying on the school’s own canteen operators,” he told FMT.

This comes after a parent took to social media to question a school’s decision to hold its graduation ceremony at a five-star hotel. It required each student and parent to pay RM200 and RM150, respectively, to attend the ceremony.

The parent, actress Adrea Abdullah, said it was unnecessary to hold a luxurious ceremony as it was a financial burden.

Mak Chee Kin, chairman of the Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education, agreed with Adrea, saying there is no need to organise graduation ceremonies at luxury hotels, as they are merely meant for “creating memories”.

He also called for schools to look for sponsors if they still wished to hold events at luxury hotels.

“Getting sponsors would be the best option to ease the financial burden on both the parents and the school.

“The parents would not need to pay or, if at all, perhaps just RM10 or RM20 as a token,,” he said.

Mak said the parents should be informed of the costs in advance.

He said schools must also be reminded that contributions from their  parent-teacher associations (PTAs) cannot exceed certain limits as it would require approval from the government.

Yesterday, education minister Fadhlina Sidek urged schools to practise moderation when organising such graduation ceremonies following complaints from parents.

Fadhlina said the schools should consult their parents and take note of their complaints.