DPM: Installation of CCTV to prevent leakage of SPM questions

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry has installed closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) at 526 strong rooms which stored the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) papers to prevent leakage of the question papers, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
He said the ministry has taken all proactive measures to tighten up security control and the flow of the movement of the SPM question papers following the recent leakage of the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) question papers resulting in some 480,000 Year Six pupils having to resit four of the papers.
Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said they had to beef up the security of the questions papers to avert another leakage.
"The security measures taken into account include the preparation of the questions, the packing and proper storage in strong room so that if there is any tampering it can be identified," he told reporters after observing the first day of the SPM examination at the Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Kiaramas, today.
He said the delivery of the question papers to the examination centres was done with the security assistance from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).
As for states hit by floods, Muhyiddin said, the ministry has taken appropriate steps to ensure the students get to sit for the exam in designated schools or centres not affected by flood waters.
He advised the 455,839 students sitting for the SPM exams nationwide to do their papers in a calm and confident manner and apply whatever they had learnt in class to answer the questions.
today the students sat for the Bahasa Melayu paper at 3,655 centres nationwide with 29,607 examination staff and 22,989 invigilators supervising this year's SPM exam.
Of the candidates, 20 of them are those with special needs due to mental retardation, 134 with impaired vision, 23 blind, 208 deaf,1 mute, 26 spastic and 645 physically disabled.
Meanwhile, Second Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan said CCTV cameras have been installed in all strongrooms to curb any leaks and "if everyone followed the standard operating procedure, there is no room for leakages... the only issue is the officials' integrity."
He earlier witnessed the distribution of examination papers from the safe room in Victoria Institution here.
Meanwhile, eight candidates are sitting for the SPM in hospitals -- two at Serdang Hospital and one each at Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Ampang Hospital, Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor, Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital in Kelantan, Universiti Malaya Medical Centre and Sarawak Hospital.