Seremban: The Negeri Sembilan government has allocated an additional RM150,000 to support and empower students sitting for the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) and Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) examinations.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun announced that the additional allocation will be divided into RM100,000 for STPM students and RM50,000 for STAM students. These funds will be channelled through various initiatives, including teacher empowerment programmes and the implementation of community tuition classes at selected schools, to ensure no student is left behind.

Aminuddin emphasized that this initiative will contribute to improving education across the state through community tuition, which aims to enhance student performance. He made these remarks after attending the 2024 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Academic Excellence Awards ceremony.

For SPM students, the state government allocated RM500,000 last year to ensure excellence in the examination through various initiatives, including providing tuition and strengthening the teachers involved in SPM subjects. To maintain high educational standards, Yayasan Negeri Sembilan has implemented seven programmes aimed at strengthening SPM elective subjects, expected to improve the SPM State Average Grade next year.

These programmes have been carefully planned to ensure both students and teachers receive optimal support in preparing for the 2025 SPM examination, particularly in elective subjects that require a specialised approach.

In a separate matter, Aminuddin addressed the issue of stray dogs, stating that the state government would handle the matter in accordance with the laws and procedures set by local authorities. Areas with stray dogs will be identified, and the animals will be captured and kept at a designated location. During this time, individuals or NGOs can adopt the dogs; otherwise, they will be disposed of according to established procedures.

Aminuddin responded to questions about the method of disposing of stray dogs, which had previously sparked opposition from various groups. He also mentioned that the state government had provided land to NGOs to manage and spay stray dogs, but this initiative was seen as ineffective, with the number of stray dogs continuing to rise, particularly in housing estates.