3rd Meeting 2023

09 October 2023 – 30 November 2023

Parliament Allocates RM1 Billion for School Maintenance, MPs Demand Specific Tamil School Funding

The Malaysian Parliament, during its Mesyuarat Ketiga, Penggal Kedua, Parlimen Ke-15, saw significant discussions regarding Tamil schools (SJK(T)s), primarily focusing on Budget 2024 allocations. Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim announced a RM1 billion allocation for school maintenance, explicitly including Tamil schools, while several MPs pressed for a detailed breakdown of funds and a fixed allocation to ensure the sustainability of the nation's 528 SJK(T)s. New initiatives for private Tamil kindergartens and laptop provisions for SJK(T)s were also highlighted.

Key Findings

Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim announced a RM1 billion allocation for the maintenance of all types of schools, including Tamil schools, as part of the Ministry of Education's RM58.7 billion budget for 2024.
Dato' Ramanan Ramakrishnan (Sungai Buloh) detailed a RM200 monthly subsidy for 167 private Tamil kindergartens, benefiting 4,441 B40 children, and a collaboration with Google for Education Malaysia to provide 6,000 refurbished laptops worth RM2.99 million to 527 SJK(T)s.
Several MPs, including Tuan Ganabatirau a/l Veraman (Klang) and Tuan Kesavan a/l Subramaniam (Sungai Siput), questioned the lack of a specific breakdown for SJK(T)s within the general school maintenance allocation and urged for a definite, fixed allocation to prevent further reductions in funding for Tamil schools, which constitute 6% of national schools.
Concerns were raised regarding ongoing challenges faced by SJK(T)s, including teacher shortages, lack of maintenance funds, and facility problems, with a plea from the Coalition of Malaysian Tamil School Boards for comprehensive funding to ensure the sustainability of mother-tongue education.

MP Scorecard

MP Name	Constituency	Topic	Stance	Impact
Datuk Seri Ir. Dr. Wee Ka Siong	Ayer Hitam	Request for detailed budget breakdown	Inquiry	General Rhetoric
Tuan Lim Guan Eng	Bagan	Equitable grants for vernacular schools	Advocacy	General Rhetoric
Tuan Ganabatirau a/l Veraman	Klang	Fixed allocation for Tamil schools	Advocacy	General Rhetoric
Tuan Kesavan a/l Subramaniam	Sungai Siput	Comprehensive allocation for SJK(T) sustainability	Advocacy	General Rhetoric
Tuan Sanisvara Nethaji Rayer a/l Rajaji	Jelutong	Defending vernacular schools' existence	Advocacy	General Rhetoric

Executive Responses

Minister/Deputy	Portfolio	Response To	Verdict	Date
Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim	Prime Minister & Finance Minister	RM1 billion school maintenance allocation	Commitment Made	13 October 2023
Dato’ Ramanan Ramakrishnan	Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives	Subsidies for Tamil kindergartens, laptops for SJK(T)s	Commitment Made	24 October 2023
Dato’ Ramanan Ramakrishnan	Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives	Upgrading projects for Sungai Buloh vernacular schools	Commitment Made	24 October 2023

Policy Signals

A RM1 billion allocation for the maintenance of all types of schools, including Tamil schools, was announced by Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim on 13 October 2023, as part of the Ministry of Education's RM58.7 billion budget for 2024.
A RM200 monthly subsidy for 167 private Tamil kindergartens, benefiting 4,441 B40 children, was detailed by Dato' Ramanan Ramakrishnan on 24 October 2023.
A collaboration with Google for Education Malaysia to provide 6,000 refurbished laptops, valued at RM2.99 million, to 527 SJK(T)s was announced by Dato' Ramanan Ramakrishnan on 24 October 2023.
Two projects for the upgrading and development of vernacular schools, including Tamil schools, in the Sungai Buloh constituency were allocated for 2023 under the Projek Mesra Rakyat, as stated by Dato' Ramanan Ramakrishnan on 24 October 2023.

What to Watch

Budget 2024 Allocation Breakdown: School boards and PTA leaders should actively monitor the Ministry of Education for a detailed breakdown of the RM1 billion school maintenance allocation, specifically identifying the portion designated for SJK(T)s.
Fixed Allocation for SJK(T)s: Stakeholders should continue to advocate for the establishment of a definite and fixed annual allocation for SJK(T)s to ensure long-term financial stability and prevent future funding reductions.
Implementation of New Initiatives: SJK(T)s and private Tamil kindergartens should follow up on the announced laptop provision programme and kindergarten subsidies, engaging with relevant government agencies to ensure timely and equitable distribution of these benefits.