THE government will expedite post-flood recovery efforts at the 17 affected schools in Johor, so that students can attend classes as usual for the 2023/2024 academic session, scheduled for March 19.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said there will be coordination between the National Disaster Management Agency, the Civil Defence Force, the State Disaster Management Committee, and other federal and state agencies.

“For these 17 schools, most importantly, students can continue to study, even though the situation may not be very conducive, but we will try to get it resolved as soon as possible,” he said at a press conference after a working visit to the Southeast Johor Development Board (Kejora) at the Kejora headquarters, Bandar Penawar today.

Also present were Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi and State Secretary Dr Azmi Rohani.

Zahid, who is also the chairman of the Central Disaster Management Committee, said this when asked to comment on the steps the government will take to help the 17 schools in Johor affected by the floods, following the opening of schools in the state on March 19.

On March 6, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said there will be no postponement of the 2023/2024 academic school session, scheduled for March 19 and 20, in the states affected by the floods.

Fadhlina was reported as saying there were 17 flood-hit schools in Johor, and Segamat was the worst with 14, while the remaining three were in other districts.

She also said if repairs for the flood-affected schools could not be carried out before those dates, students would be given the option to attend classes via home-based teaching and learning.

Meanwhile, in relation to the stagnant flood-waters in Batu Pahat, Zahid, who is also the rural and regional development minister, said the work of pumping water out of the flood-affected areas has already started.

“The pump works have already been carried out. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced a RM50 million grant for Johor to buy equipment, and the menteri besar has submitted a 300-page application (for allocation). Insya-Allah we will address it one by one,” he said.

As of 12pm today, the state committee announced that a total of 42,706 evacuees are still displaced by the floods in Johor, with Batu Pahat recording the highest number at 39,944 people. – Bernama, March 12, 2023.