SEREMBAN: The Negeri Sembilan government has allocated an additional RM150,000, to support and empower students sitting for the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) and Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) examinations.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun said that the additional allocation - RM100,000 for STPM students and RM50,000 for STAM students - will be channelled through various initiatives, including teacher empowerment programmes and the implementation of community tuition classes at selected schools, to ensure that no student is left behind.
“This will contribute to improving education across the state through community tuition, which in turn helps enhance student excellence,” he told reporters after attending the 2024 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Academic Excellence Awards ceremony, here, today.
As for SPM students, the state government has allocated RM500,000 last year to ensure excellence in the examination through various initiatives, including providing tuition and strengthening the teachers involved in SPM subjects.
He added that, to maintain the high standard of education in the state, Yayasan Negeri Sembilan has taken the initiative to implement seven programmes aimed at strengthening SPM elective subjects, which are expected to improve the SPM State Average Grade next year.
He said that these programmes were carefully planned, to ensure that both students and teachers received optimal support in preparing for the 2025 SPM examination, particularly in elective subjects, which require a specialised approach.
In a separate matter, Aminuddin said that the state government would address the stray dog issue in accordance with the laws and procedures set by the local authorities (PBT).
“We will identify areas with stray dogs, capture them, and keep them at a designated location for a period. During this time, individuals or NGOs can adopt them; otherwise, they will be disposed of according to established procedures,” he said.
He was responding to questions about the method of disposing of stray dogs, which had previously sparked strong opposition from various groups.
The Port Dickson MP also said that the state government had previously provided land to NGOs to manage and spay stray dogs, but this initiative was seen as ineffective, with the number of stray dogs continuing to rise, especially in housing estates.
