TUTORIAL 15

REFER TO THE MALAYSIA EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND LIST

DOWN THE PROGRAMMES PLANNED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO
ASSIST THE MINORITY GROUP AND PEOPLE IN THE REMOTE
INTERIOR
Group Members
Ramlah Mahmud
Farah Syahirah
Nur Atiqah Liyana
Muhd Fuad
Moh Termizi

Action Plan for the people in Interior

Malaysia

There are 100 schools in Malaysia involved in the programmes for

rural schools. The government realises the need to address the
problems of achievement and quality education among marginalized
children in rural and remote areas. Hence, it has taken steps to
overcome the problems in teaching and learning. The Government's
efforts to improve the education facilities include:

Providing funding and technical support to assess the effectiveness of

additional reading programme - providing reading materials (Sabah &
Sarawak)

Creating programs such as Life Skills Based Education (LSBE)

By 2005, 4.4 per cent of primary school pupils and 0.8 percent of high
school students have yet to master the skills of reading, writing and
arithmetic (3M). To overcome this problem the government has
implemented the Early Intervention Programme for basic literacy (KIA2M)
from 2006.

In 2005 the MOE expanded pre-school education in rural

and remotes resulting in:Pre-school education to 92,303 children
Increase the per capita grant and strengthen the
implementation of the National Preschool Curriculum for
children aged 5 plus especially in rural areas.
Expand the Recovery programme by upgrading 2800 class
recovery and provide adequate remedial teachers.

In addition, the government has helped the Ministry of Education

and Mercy Malaysia to enhance the implementation of
emergency programme children in the rural areas.

Educational Measures in Sabah and Sarawak

In order to develop the education system in the rural area of Sabah and
Sarawak, the government has provided schools with basic amenities like water
and electricity supply. Other than that the government has given assistance in
in many other ways such as the following:
Provide

additional classrooms for pre-school children

Increase the number of computer to 17.500
Construction of new schools in Sabah and Sarawak
Construction of a new dormitory and upgrade
Web TV for 5869 rural schools
Teleconferencing facilities for 500 schools
Mobile satellite for 200 schools
Wireless fax for 200 schools
Workshops for vocational subjects.
Increase recovery class Blanket 5077
Construction of Teachers of 3438
Student Intervention Programme
Allowances to teachers in remote areas
Supplement 00 involving 550 school children

Agencies Involved in the

Implementation Programme for
Educational Development in Rural
Areas
In
order to plan and implement programmes and projects for
education, the Ministry of Education has involved a number of
parties such as:

Public Service
Department (PSD)
Treasury
Economic Planning Unit
(EPU)
Implementation
Adjustments Unit
State Government,
Local Government
District Office
Department of Land

Ministry of Public
Works
Ministry of Transport
Royal Police of
Malaysia
Fire Department
Department of
National Unity
Department of
Environment
National Anti-Drug
Agency
Ministry of Culture,
Arts and Heritage of

Indigenous and minority groups

Based on the PPPM

The development of a contextualised curriculum (Kurikulum Asli dan Penan,

KAP) tailored to Orang Asli and Penan students. KAP was piloted in 2007 at
14 Orang Asli and 6 Penan schools, and contains two elementsa
minimum adequate syllabus and a curriculum that has been contextualised
to the Orang Asli and Penan communities. Initial results have been
promising. For example, KAP students are reportedly more confident,
achieve higher levels of literacy and numeracy, and have better selfesteem;

The development of a Special Comprehensive Model School Programme

(K9) which provides residential education from Year 1 to Form 3. The main
objective is to reduce the drop-out rate between Year 6 and Form 1. This
programme was piloted in 2007, and thus far, it appears that attendance
rates for students have been increasing every year, from 85.7% in 2007 to
97.6% in 2010;

The inclusion of indigenous and other minority

languages in the curriculum. Under the new
KSSR introduced in 2011, the Ministry also
expanded the elective language choices to
include Iban, Kadazan-Dusun and Semai; and

The provision of Kelas Dewasa Orang Asli dan

Pribumi (KEDAP) classes for Orang Asli adults
to provide them with sufficient literacy and
numeracy to support their childrens learning.

Infrastructure

Today, there are 869 Orang Asli villages

throughout the country, 2% are located at the
vicinity of existing townships and 61% in the
outskirt of existing rural villages and 37% are in
the remote areas (Mason & Arifin, 2005).
village resettlement programmes, rural roads,
provision of electricity and water supply, social
amenities, as well as access to education (Khor,
2001).

In the 9th Malaysian Plan (RMK9), the Government

is committed in improving the quality of life of
Orang Asli.
The government has allocated RM170 million to
the JHEOA to carry out numerous programmes
and projects.
A sum of RM50 million is provided for Housing
Assistance Programme and social amenities in
Orang Asli settlements (The Economic Planning
Unit, 2006).
The Rancangan Pengumpulan Semula (The
Resettlement Scheme or RPS) has been designed
for remote and scattered settlement of the Orang
Asli community- Equipped with housing,

Skills training

It is a new meaning in the life of Orang Asli

when government agencies such as KEMAS,
MOE and Department of Social Welfare
incorperated with JHEOA to give community
educational support and facilities. The MOE
has allocated RM13 million to implement Adult
Education Programme for indigenous
community in Malaysia.
Jabatan Kemajuan Masyarakat (KEMAS) - Also
known as the Community Development
Department in English term.

Religious development

Malaysia is a multicultural and multiconfessional

country.
The implication of providing education for this
community has drawn the attention of various
non-governmental Agencies (NGOs) and
voluntary bodies such as Islamic Youth
Movement (Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia or
ABIM), Interfaith Religious Commission (IRC),
Tabligh and Malaysian Christian Association for
Relief (Malaysian CARE).

For example:
If the community that they live in
comprises mainly with people who
practices a certain religion, they would
tend to practice that religion also.
Even if they do not practice the same
religion, they will learn to compromise
and respect the majority.

Literacy education
no Orang Asli child shall be precluded from
attending any school only by reason of being an
Orang Asli. It also states that no Orang Asli
child attending any school shall be obliged to
attend any religious instruction without the prior
consent of his parents or guardian. (The
Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954; Act 134, Article 17)
The orang asli is a minority group in Malaysia.
Eventhough they are a minority group, they
were not be left out of national educational
development.

This implementation is carried out in stages:

First Stage: Pre-School: Children from 5 to 6

years
The students are being provided with a
solid foundation before they attend formal
education.
The Orang Asli children are prepared and
trained in terms of emotional and social
skills to be ready to face changes and
challenges that they will face when they
attend school.

Second Stage: Children from 7 to

12 years
Orang Asli children are provided with a
solid foundation in basic literacy and
textbooks etc.
They are also exposed to basic skill such
as thinking skills, basic concepts of
science, art, recreation.
In addition, they are instilled with good
values for the development of the
cognitive, affective domains in line with
the National Philosophy of Education.

Third stage: Pupils from 13-18

years
This stage comprise of a
comprehensive educational programme
where emphasis is placed on critical
and creative thinking and the main
focus is the acceptance of various
aspects of knowledge.

Tertiary level: Education After

Secondary Education
This stage will mainly to develop the
cognitive domain where -introduced to
creative and critical thinking skills (CCTS) in
order to produce innovative students.
This is in the hope that Orang Asli students
can be developed to be able to compete
globally.
because of poor accessibility due to distance
and remoteness which causes difficulty for
children to attend school punctually and
regularly

 However, there are plans which have

been approved to uplift the standard of
education and to decrease the dropout
rate among the Orang Asli,
RM4.8 million Stay-in-school project
announced in 2000.
Some schools are equipped with hostels
for students.
Skills training appropriate to their
interests and abilities will be introduced
so that they can enter the labour market
and get the job that suit with their
abilities.

Literacy Programme for Adults

MOE has open 102 classes which benefited the

adults. The timetable for the was arrange 3 days
a week from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. suitable for Orang
Asli parents.
Amran (2008) reported that the education for
adults has drawn the attention of KEMAS -open 74
classes under the Education for the Wellbeing
Family Program (Kelas Pendidikan Kesejahteraan
Keluarga or PKK) and Literacy Education
Programme (Pendidikan Literasi Fungsian or PLF).
Both programmes have benefited 1,274 Orang
Asli adults.

References
Ministry of Education (2006). Education in Malaysia: To
develop excellence the National Education. Putrajaya:
Educational Planning and Research Division.
Nicholas, C. (2005) Integration and Modernization of the
Orang Asli:The impact on culture and identity,
Department of Museums & Antiquities and the
Department of Orang Asli Affairs, Kuala Lumpur.

The Economic Planning Unit (2006). The Ninth Malaysian

Plan 2006 - 2010, Putrajaya: Department of Prime
Minister.
William-Hunt, T. & Mohd Nor, H. (1993). The Orang Asli
of Malaysia in the Wider National Order: Forging New
and Dynamic Relationships, Centre for Malaysian
Pribumi Studies and the Department of Orang Asli
Affairs. Kuala Lumpur.