Yesterday, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced an additional school holiday on Wednesday, 18 March, for schools nationwide in conjunction with the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations. This comes in addition to the extra holidays and Term 1 break previously announced by the Ministry.
However, it appears that not everyone is satisfied with the timing of the decision.
A netizen took to the Negeri Sembilan Kini Facebook page to share how the MOE’s “last-minute” announcement has affected those who had planned their travel and celebrations well in advance.
Concerns over last-minute planning
The netizen wrote, “First, I would like to thank the Ministry of Education for granting this additional holiday. The issue is not that we are ungrateful. We appreciate the decision.”
“However, this last-minute announcement actually affects many parties, especially those who have already bought tickets and arranged trips to return to their hometowns.”
They further noted the impact on the wider school community, stating, “It also affects education workers, students, and parents who work or study far from home. Even with an academic calendar in place, planning is disrupted when changes are made at the eleventh hour.”
“These matters should be considered and planned at least a month before an announcement is made.”
A ‘small’ change with significant impact
This image is for illustration purposes only.
While an extra day off is usually welcomed, the timing has proven inconvenient for those with fixed itineraries. Those who planned their journeys early may now find themselves having to adjust their bookings.
“Many students and families bought bus tickets weeks ago, some as early as the first week of Ramadan. When a holiday is announced suddenly, it disrupts those plans. Although one day may seem insignificant to some, it is meaningful to many,” the post continued.
The netizen concluded by urging for better foresight in the future:
“We are still grateful for the holiday. However, we hope that future planning is done further in advance to avoid inconveniencing the public.
“Online, many others have expressed disappointment as changing tickets is not easy, and some have even had to bear financial losses.”
What do you think about this? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
