KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 — Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has clarified his proposal to set up a paid Mara Junior Science College (MRSM), saying it will be a separate scheme from the current one.

Ismail said even if the proposal is considered, Ismail said it would not mean that Putrajaya will stop subsidising the current MRSM scheme for children in the urban poor category.

"The paid MRSM will be private and will require parents to pay for their qualified children if they are interested to join MRSM.

"If the proposal becomes a reality, it does not mean the government will abolish its MRSM subsidies for the poor students,” he wrote in a statement on his official Facebook page.

Ismail said he wished to clear the air after receiving negative responses from his announcement of the proposal.

The minister explained MRSM currently only caters to poor students, and those from the Orang Asli, and Sabah and Sarawak’s indigenous minorities.

Yesterday, Ismail announced that a paid MRSM was under his ministry’s consideration after receiving requests from high-income parents who wanted to enrol their children with good UPSR results in MRSM.

According to him, such MRSM will be built in the Klang Valley area.

In his announcement, Ismail briefly said that the fees for the proposed paid MRSM would be "slightly lesser” than private and international schools.

However, he later added that the fees have not been finalised and would depend on the cost of the school.