MTL: MOE Ready To Activate 'Ops Payung'; Open Operations Room

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Education (MOE) is ready to implement the 'Ops Payung' strategy and open an flood operations room as a measure to face the Northeast Monsoon (MTL), ensuring that the candidates for the 2026 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) can sit for the examination smoothly.

Education director-general Datuk Dr Mohd Azam Ahmad said that various preparatory measures are now being put in place in collaboration with various security agencies such as the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM), the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF).

According to him, the MOE is fully prepared during this monsoon season due to climate change in the country, which has caused areas that previously did not report floods to now experience flooding.

"At the MOE level, I have instructed the opening of a flood operations room. From here, we will gather information, observe trends regarding floods, and we will consistently provide reminders at the state level and district level, and also in schools.

"Insya-Allah, we can ensure that our children sit for the SPM 2026 smoothly," he said to reporters at the closing ceremony of the 2026 National-Level MOE-Perodua Badminton Talent Development Programme Championship here today.

Ops Payung is a standard operating procedure (SOP) and specific guidelines managed by the MOE through the Examination Board to ensure the smooth conduct of public examinations during natural disasters such as floods.

Commenting further, Mohd Azam said the initiative to relocate candidates living in high-risk areas or areas with disrupted access to school hostels will continue as in previous years to avoid disruptions to exam attendance.

"So since last year we have started taking these children and placing them in hostels so that they are not disturbed (in the event of floods).

"Sometimes places that usually don't get flooded, end up flooding, and we will manage that together with the support and cooperation provided by the police, APM and so on. So all of this has indeed been addressed as best as possible," he added.

The written SPM 2026 examination is scheduled to take place from Nov 23 to Dec 17, while the MTL, which started on Oct 27, is expected to continue until March 2027.

-- BERNAMA