KLUANG, Sept 23 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said a special programme would be implemented at the end of this year to help students who have fallen behind or are not interested in continuing their studies to Form Four enter technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

Ahmad Zahid said he has discussed with Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek to ensure the special non-written test can be implemented by the end of this year.

"Don’t think that without SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination), there is no future. Through the TVET ecosystem...Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM) 1 and 2 are equivalent to SPM, and SKM 3,4 and 5 to a diploma.

"We must provide an ecosystem for these students. The country needs workers and companies investing in the country also require a workforce among the youth,” he said at the Indian community gathering in conjunction with the Mahkota state by-election here yesterday.

Also present were Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the by-election, Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah.

Ahmad Zahid said he would also discuss with Indian community leaders, including MIC president Tan Sri S A Vigneswaran, to find ways to encourage young people from the community to take the SKM, which can open doors to higher education institutions without requiring SPM.

The BN chairman also reminded Syed Hussien to be a "colour-blind” representative if given the people’s mandate on September 28, as voters would assess his performance and decide again in the next election.

"If he wins, he wins with the support of all — Indians, Malays, and Chinese, and the community here expects good service for everyone. Don’t embarrass me, who signed the nomination letter with the agreement of the menteri besar,” he said.

Moreover, Ahmad Zahid assured that the government would strive to resolve the issue of crematorium shortages in Johor — as conveyed by the menteri besar to him — to be forwarded to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Meanwhile, Onn Hafiz, in his speech, said that the state government had approved an allocation of RM16.9 million over two years starting in 2022 for the Indian community through various programmes, while also addressing issues such as places of worship, burial grounds, and education.

"We provided this to the Indian community in all districts. In terms of education, for example, all staff rooms in Tamil National-Type Schools (SJKT) across the state received RM5,000 each, involving a total of RM400,000 in aid,” he said.

Onn Hafiz added that the state government always prioritised the welfare of all citizens and emphasised the importance of unity among Bangsa Johor to ensure future progress.

The Mahkota state by-election, held following the death of incumbent Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain, 63, on August 2, will see a straight contest between Syed Hussein and Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Mohamad Haizan Jaafar. — Bernama