MARA lodges police report on Sungai Besar MRSM asymptomatic student claims

KUALA LUMPUR: Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) lodged a police report today to deny allegations that the Maktab Rendah Sains MARA (MRSM) Sungai Besar, Selangor had failed to comply with standard operating procedures (SOPs) to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

MARA in a statement today said immediate action had been taken by creating a task force led by college principals comprising teachers and staff since the first day COVID-19 was detected. The task force conducts daily sanitation work with advice and monitoring from the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (JBPM).

"Disinfection of the entire college building was conducted by the fire department on Jan 29. One of the asymptomatic students was placed at the COVID-19 Low Risk Quarantine and Treatment Centre (PKRC) at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS). The student’s condition was not critical and only experienced cough symptoms.

"MARA always ensures that MRSM students follow the SOPs set by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) and also the National Security Council (MKN) to curb the spread of COVID-19 among students," the statement read.

The statement was issued following a WhatsApp message claiming that an asymptomatic student in MRSM Sungai Besar did not get adequate food supply and had been placed in the same dormitory with healthy students, besides there being problems involving security SOPs, sanitation, face mask supply and so on.

According to the statement, the asymptomatic student was isolated from healthy students in other blocks and also used different toilets. This had been done since Jan 24 with students separated by category and placed on different levels and blocks including the use of separate toilets under the supervision of the district health office (PKD).

According to MARA, there is no issue of lack of food and prevention equipment. Instead students quarantined in the dormitory block are supplied with food packed daily according to the dining hall menu and additional food such as fruits and certain beverages needed by students.

In addition, each student is provided face mask and hand sanitiser to ensure hygiene and to contain infection among students. The college also provided each warden and teacher on duty with personal protective equipment (PPE), he said.

MARA has always been in close contact with the PKD since the emergence of symptoms and cases of close contact among students.

Therefore, parents are advised to continue to contact the college management if there are any concerns about their children, the statement read.

-- BERNAMA