PETALING JAYA: Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek urged parents to continue using the current pin-style Jalur Gemilang badges provided by the Education Ministry, despite concerns over students’ safety.
She was addressing parents’ requests for sewable Jalur Gemilang badges, citing concerns that the pin-on versions may pose a risk of injury to students who have yet to learn how to handle sharp objects.
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“We’ve already given them out for free — the type that you pin on. Use those first,” she was quoted as saying after announcing the 2024 SPM results during a visit to SMK Convent Kajang.
The use of the Jalur Gemilang badge on school uniforms was made compulsory from April 21 and is being implemented in stages at all educational institutions under the ministry.
This includes government and government-aided schools, matriculation colleges, and the Malaysian Teacher Education Institute.
The initiative aims to instil patriotism among students and educators alike.
According to The Star, she also addressed questions about Malaysia’s language policy in schools, amid the proposal to introduce more elective foreign languages including Mandarin, Tamil and ASEAN languages such as Thai, Khmer, and Vietnamese.
“There is German, French and many other languages.
In vernacular schools, Tamil and Mandarin remain core languages, alongside Bahasa Melayu as the main medium. So I don’t see any issue because the language we are proposing is merely an alternative or elective,” she stated.
