KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — The Education Ministry has not decided to discontinue its financial assistance programmes for students in government schools, deputy minister Chong Sin Woon said.

According to The Star today, Chong said that all such programmes by the government will continue, despite the cut in his ministry’s allocation after the Budget 2016 revision.

“One Chinese newspaper had headlined a report that poor students would go hungry because the ministry had cut an allocation meant to provide breakfast to them,” Chong was quoted as saying by the English daily.

“Let me categorically state that the ministry will not be cutting any of the 25 types of aid for students in our schools,” he added.

He further condemned such reports, saying they have adversely affected the ministry’s image.

In separate report by the New Straits Times, Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government will be capping the number of Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) students allowed to continue their studies abroad to 1,500 annually.

He said that in keeping with the government’s plan to boost local institutions, the students must receive their basic education in the country before continuing their study overseas.

“Students must use local institutions here and, if they are planning to study abroad, they must, first, get their basic education in Malaysia,” Ismail was quoted by the daily.

He added that the process will be implemented in stages, and that Mara colleges will be seeing an upgrade and a facelift.