Didik TV home-based teaching and learning

DidikTV goes on air to fill education gap in a world ravaged by a pandemic.  

PM: Students affected by pandemic can keep up with their studies 

 

The all-day educational television channel DidikTV Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (KPM) will help ensure more students who cannot resume face-toface learning can keep up with their studies, says the Prime Minister.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said this is especially necessary for students who do not have access to the Internet or possess electronic gadgets to use for learning.

He added that the government understands that online home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) could not reach every one of Malaysia’s 5,000,000 school students in the short time since it was introduced on March 18, 2020.

“The Education Ministry always emphasises that whatever teaching and learning method used must be suitable for teachers and students,” he said when launching DidikTV KPM yesterday.

Muhyiddin said this is the first time a channel is being dedicated to educational content in Malaysia and is among the ministry’s efforts to increase access to quality educational content for all students.

“I believe that DidikTV KPM will help students with their PdPR, especially those who do not have access to online PdPR,” he added.

He said that the content is based on the Education Ministry’s curriculum and co-curriculum.

“This channel will also broadcast news about the education world from preschool until Form Six, and edutainment,” he said, adding that there would also be lifelong learning programmes that emphasise character development and moral values.

Separately, Education Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin said DidikTV differs from the previous TV Pendidikan, totalling 11 hours of content on different channels, in that it is now 17 hours in one dedicated channel, aired on ntv7 from 7am to midnight.

Previously TV Pendidikan was broadcast on TV Okey RTM, Tutor TV Astro and DidikTV@ntv7.

Top teachers will be delivering the content to the students, said Radzi, adding that right now, with the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2020 looming, they are focusing more on programmes to prepare the candidates for the examinations.

He also said the ministry decided to create a dedicated television channel with educational content based on the positive feedback on its Road To SPM 2020 programme, which catered for SPM 2020 candidates.

Based on available data, about 95% of Malaysian households have a television set, making this a suitable medium to deliver PdPR to everyone, he said in an interview with TV3 yesterday.

“The content is not limited to the national curriculum or co-curriculum,” he said, adding that there will be programmes to build character, improve general knowledge, and showcase students’ talents.

Radzi also said that the ministry will be monitoring feedback on the programmes to identify areas that need to be improved.

Related:

Parents: Motivate kids with interactive content | The Star

Learning at home: Azza Azrin Juri (left), 33, guiding her sons Arrizqy Izzran (centre) Arruzain Izzul, as they follow a lesson on Didik TV. - IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

DidikTV to fill education gaps

DidikTV a boon for students without Internet access

All-day educational television now available with DidikTV, says Muhyiddin

 DidikTV: It will be better

Don’t just leave it to the teachers

Malaysia’s recovery movement control order (RMCO) extended until Dec 31,tourists still not allowed in

Coronavirus Update (Live): 23,839,425 Cases and 817,646 ...

Coronavirus Update - Worldometer

KUALA LUMPUR: The recovery phase of Malaysia's COVID-19 movement control order (RMCO) will be extended to Dec 31 and tourists will remain barred from entering the country, said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Speaking in a televised address on Friday (Aug 28), the prime minister said even though the number of new cases in the country has fallen, the virus is still raging globally. The RMCO phase was originally scheduled to end on Aug 31.

"I am aware that based on global developments, we will go through a lengthy period before the country can be completely free from the threat of COVID-19," he said.

"For now, the situation is controlled. However, if there is an increase in cases in certain locations, the government will take a targeted approach by implementing enhanced movement control order or targeted movement control order, as previously enforced in several locations."

He added: "This means that the government requires a legal mechanism to continue efforts to curb and control the spread of COVID-19. Hence, for the benefit of you all, the government has decided to extend the recovery movement control order until Dec 31, 2020."

He also emphasised that no individual will be excused from these laws and anyone who breaks the regulations will be punished.

Mr Muhyiddin expressed his support for the Ministry of Health (MOH) to increase the fines for those who break these laws, to twice or thrice the current amounts.

The prime minister also pointed out that the extension will ensure all parties adhere to the standard operating procedures and health protocols that have been outlined.

He added that foreign tourists are still barred from entering Malaysia during this period to prevent the spread of imported cases into the country.

READ: COVID-19 virus mutation that is '10 times' more infectious detected in Malaysia: Health director-general

Almost all sectors have been permitted to resume their operations, except for night clubs and entertainment outlets, the prime minister said.

All sporting activities are permitted, sans the presence of spectators or overseas participants, he added.

As of Friday, Malaysia reported a total of 9,306 COVID-19 cases and 125 deaths. Around 97 per cent of the patients have recovered.

A total of 10 new cases were detected on Friday, the MOH said.

READ: Commentary - With COVID-19 under control, the worst is over for the Malaysian economy

The MCO, first imposed on Mar 18 to control the spread of COVID-19, was previously extended three times until May 12.

It was initially enforced when the number of daily new cases saw an alarming three-figure spike. Under the MCO, domestic and international travel was barred, and people were encouraged to stay at home to break the infection chain.

After six weeks of economic inactivity, Malaysia eased into a “conditional MCO” beginning May 4,  allowing almost all economic sectors to reopen. 

Subsequently, controls continued to be lifted over time. Daycare centres, hair salons, beauty parlours, open markets and night markets were given the green light to reopen.

Malaysia later entered the RMCO phase from Jun 10, where almost all social, educational, religious and business activities, as well as economic sectors reopened in phases, with standard operating procedures to be adhered to. Interstate travel was also permitted while the country's borders remained closed. The current control order, which began on June 10, was due to expire on Monday.

Four months of efforts seemed to have paid off as Malaysia began to report mostly single-digit increase in daily new cases - and even zero local transmission on a few days - until new clusters emerged.

On the back of 13 new clusters detected during the RMCO phase, Mr Muhyiddin had earlier reminded Malaysians to comply with social distancing rules and warned the public not to be complacent.

On Aug 3, Malaysia's Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that the wearing of face masks was compulsory in crowded public areas, including markets, supermarkets, tourist areas, cinemas and on public transport.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

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Three-month loan moratorium extension for those in need

https://youtu.be/wT4fZ9IcR6c

https://youtu.be/nzqy79-m8Z0

Extension for those in need | The Star

Rapt attention: Laundrette worker Amira Wahida Osman watching the Prime Minister deliver the special announcement on the loan moratorium in Putrajaya. — MOHD SAHAR MISNI/The Star

The move is expected to benefit some three million individuals and businesses

KUALA LUMPUR (July 29): Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today announced that banks will offer a three-month loan moratorium extension and assistance to targeted groups in view of the current tough economic times.

The move is expected to benefit some three million individuals and businesses, particularly those who suffer pay cuts and are unemployed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Muhyiddin, who had a live televised speech this afternoon.

Muhyiddin said the decision was made following a discussion with the finance minister and Bank Negara Malaysia on further measures to help borrowers that still need assistance when the six-month moratorium ends on Sept 30.

The Covid-19 lockdown measures enforced over the last few months have presented an unprecedented challenge for small businesses in Malaysia.

The blanket six-month moratorium was granted by banks in April.

"Individuals who have lost their jobs in 2020 and remain jobless are eligible for the targeted moratorium extension of three months. After three months, the moratorium could be extended further at the banks' discretion depending on the borrowers' situations.

"Those who are employed but have had their salaries reduced due to Covid-19 pandemic will be granted lower loan instalments in tandem, depending on the types of borrowings. For example, for home or personal loans, the monthly instalments will be reduced at the same rate as the salary reductions.

"This assistance is for a period of at least six months and an extension can be given subject to the current salary situations of the individuals concerned," Muhyiddin added.

Apart from the two groups, Muhyiddin said other affected borrowers including traders, hawkers, self-employed individuals and businesses could also make similar arrangements with their banks.

Banks, according to him, have expressed their commitments to helping all borrowers, both individuals and small and medium enterprises, who are affected by Covid-19 outbreak.

Muhyiddin revealed that banks may allow borrowers to make interest payments only for a period of time on a case-by-case basis.

Other options are to extend the loan tenures to reduce monthly repayments or provide other reliefs until the borrowers' financial positions are more stable.

"For hire purchase borrowers in need of assistance, financial institutions will offer appropriate instalment scheduling subject to the Hire Purchase Act. This includes extending the repayment period with a lower instalment amount," Muhyiddin said, adding that eligible borrowers can contact their respective banks to make an application starting from Aug 7. Economists laud move to extend moratorium for targeted groups

MIDF Research economist Mazlina Abdul Rahman said the extension of the loan moratorium for targeted groups is a better option than to continue providing the moratorium on a blanket approach.

"It is because there could be many borrowers who are opting for moratorium not because they are in financial distress but simply [because they] want to use the opportunity to preserve capital or for investment purposes," she said when contacted.

Her sentiment was echoed by Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd banking analyst Chan Jit Hoong, who said the quantum of new modification loss should be lower than the blanket automatic deferment as it is aimed at a smaller audience.

This initiative, he said, did not come as a surprise and is consistent with what banks have been mulling to do after the current six-month moratorium ends on Sept 30.

"We believe it is a more sustainable method to help the rakyat and also, restrain non-performing loans (NPLs) from ballooning out of control over the short term. However, it may hide actual damage and cause lag in NPL formation if the situation does not improve rapidly or an advent of [second-wave Covid-19] paralyses the country again," he said.

Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the moratorium extension shows that the government is trying to strike a delicate balance between supporting the need of the affected groups and the health of banks' finances, which is also crucial to the Malaysian economy.

"It's going to be targeted and that is very reassuring and therefore, limited resources are not going to be wasted. What is more important now is to encourage borrowers who have lost their jobs or who have been experiencing reductions in their current pay and perhaps, those who have faced financial difficulties to come forward and have a frank discussion about their states of finance with the banks," he said.

Read also:

BNM: Borrowers eligible for loan repayment flexibility must apply by Aug 7
Economists laud move to extend moratorium for targeted groups
FMM hails targeted loan moratorium extension, reiterates call for more assistance to businesses

Breathing space for borrowers and banks | The Star

Targeted approach the way to go
Moratorium extension and targeted bank assistance a timely move

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