KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek announced today that there will be no exemptions to the ban on schools receiving funds from tobacco or alcohol sponsors. Emphasizing adherence to the established guidelines, she urged all schools to comply fully. “My advice is to follow the guidelines. Schools must ensure that the responsibility is with the administrators to ascertain that everything runs smoothly,” she said, as reported by Malaysiakini. This directive applies to all schools, including vernacular institutions.
The statement follows an incident involving a vernacular school in Sepang reportedly receiving donations from Tiger Beer, prompting the Ministry of Education to investigate. Fadhlina reiterated that while the ministry welcomes contributions, they must align with existing guidelines. This policy was first instituted in March 2018 under the Barisan Nasional administration. The issue gained attention recently after Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government, Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu, attended an event sponsored by Tiger Beer, sparking criticism from the Islamist party PAS.
