Kuala Terengganu: Parents in Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu are using the weekend to finalize preparations for their children’s schooling needs ahead of the new school year starting tomorrow.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, a survey conducted in these states showed many parents utilizing the last day of school holidays to complete shopping for their children’s school necessities, with some leveraging the Early Schooling Aid (BAP) for additional support.

In Terengganu, Norhafizah Rejab, aged 37, shared that she and her husband used the BAP to purchase an extra set of uniforms for their daughter, who will be entering Standard Three. This initiative has been helpful for her family. “Alhamdulillah, RM150 is enough to buy a basic set of school attire. It doesn’t have to be a branded one, just sufficient for my child to wear for the year,” she mentioned while shopping in Kuala Terengganu. Her daughter, starting as a library prefect, required a new set of uniforms.

Muhammad Hamzah Alias, a senior supervisor at a clothing store participating in the Rahmah MADANI Sales programme, noted a rise in customer numbers during the Back To School initiative on January 31 and February 1.

In Kedah, Md Irwan Effendy Muhammad Ariffin, a 38-year-old trader, mentioned that work commitments led him to leave preparations until the last week. However, he successfully sourced essentials for his eight-year-old son. “Alhamdulillah, even at the last minute, there were still plenty of size options available for school uniforms,” he said, spending about RM300 on necessary items.

Nur Atikah Abdul Majid, a mother of five, completed preparations early in the holidays, needing only to take her children for haircuts today. She spent approximately RM100 per child and made use of items in good condition from previous years.

In Kelantan, stores selling school uniforms in Kota Bharu were less busy, as many parents had completed their shopping earlier. Mazira Ismail, a housewife, had purchased most of her children’s supplies by the end of last year, with only a few additional items needed this week. “I prefer to buy early to avoid last-minute crowds and the risk of sizes selling out,” she explained.