SUBANG JAYA, April 16 — The Education Ministry (MOE) has disbursed RM1,000 in financial aid to 128 students and five teachers affected by the April 1 gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights here.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the assistance, supported by Yayasan Guru Tun Hussein Onn and Yayasan Didik Negara, is channelled to pupils and teachers to alleviate their burden and prevent dropouts.
“At the ministry level, we not only focus on giving this (financial) contribution… but also academic and psychosocial support when they did not attend school previously, (they) received (assistance like) school uniforms as well as textbooks and stationery to continue their education,” she said.
She said this after the presentation of the contributions for the Putra Heights disaster at SMK USJ 23 here today.
Also present were Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh, MOE secretary-general Datuk Aminuddin Hassim, MOE director-general Datuk Azman Adnan, MOE deputy director-general (professional development) Mohd Azam Ahmad and MOE deputy director-general (school operations) Zainal Abas.
Yayasan Guru Tun Hussein Onn chief executive officer Zahirudin Mohammad Hanif and Selangor Education Department director Jafri Abu were also present.
Fadhlina also stressed that the ministry will continue to monitor the victims’ needs from time to time, including providing post-disaster counselling for the students and teachers.
Meanwhile, Zainal said the MOE had activated its smart support team, which comprises guidance and counselling teachers, to provide psychosocial support, and its academic support team, to facilitate the education of victims of the blast.
“We will continuously provide emotional support because this incident requires long-term intervention and we are certain that our guidance and counselling teachers are capable of helping the schoolchildren,” he said.
Asked about the ministry’s commitment to ensuring no one misses out on receiving aid, he said the disbursement of aid is streamlined with the Social Welfare Department’s list of victims, who were registered at relief centres.
He also urged those who missed out on receiving the assistance to immediately contact the Selangor Education Department of the nearest District Education Office.
The 8.10am April 1 explosion, involving a Petronas gas pipeline, saw flames soaring over 30m high with temperatures reaching up to 1,000℃. It took nearly eight hours to extinguish.
— Bernama
