Opposition party PAS has claimed that poor pupils in Kelantan and Terengganu are finding it difficult to obtain endorsement of applications for financial assistance. The party attributed this to local officials who are "politicising the issue".

Central committee member and Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar told a press conference this afternoon that it should be sufficient for school principals to endorse applications.

The scheme, introduced in the two states this year, allows poor pupils identified by teachers and principals to apply for RM120 in annual aid. However, their applications must first be endorsed by the village security committee head and a local area government officer.

Mahfuz alleged that some of these officials have refused to endorse applications because they hold a "different political ideology".

"The government should stop politicising the issue at the expense of needy pupils," he said at the Opposition Leader's office in Parliament house.

Problems for parents

He said Umno and Barisan Nasional should be ashamed of themselves for politicising the issue, "especially over a measly sum of RM10 a month or three sen daily for each poor pupil".

"Is it really necessary (for the officials) to vet the applicants when teachers and principals are in a far better position to (confirm their status)? They themselves are trained civil servants," he said.

"We urge the Education Ministry to remove the requirement for endorsements from anyone other than school principals. The ministry should further state how many pupils have been identified by teachers and the number of recipients of aid under the scheme."

Mahfuz, a member of the PAS National Transparency Council, said that the scheme was limited to families with an income of less than RM500 a month.

"Even with a monthly income of RM1,000, many parents are struggling to provide their children with school items. The cost of stationery, bags, uniforms and books has increased, while some parents have a number of school-going children to look after," he said.

He proposed that the means test be revised to RM800 a month, so that a larger number of needy pupils can be covered.

Tuition assistance

On Dec 31 last year, a similar aid scheme was announced by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi involving a RM200 million allocation to provide tuition vouchers for poor pupils in Years Four to Six.

Under this, the school principal compiles a list of poor pupils with the help of the district education officer.

The scheme, scheduled to be implemented in March or April, will cover tuition for Bahasa Malaysia, Mathematics, Science and English offered by government teachers on a voluntary basis, at RM10 per subject. About 500,000 pupils are expected to benefit from this scheme.

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), however, expressed concern that teachers may not give their best during regular classes or may ask their pupils to take tuition from them under the voucher system.

To prevent abuse, the National Union of the Teaching Profession suggested that only qualified teachers capable of drawing up a well-structured syllabus be allowed to conduct extra classes.