PUTRAJAYA: Public and private institutions of higher learning need to ensure their students do not engage in outdoor activities, including water activities, during the Northeast Monsoon (MTL) season.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said that precautionary measures need to be taken to avoid any untoward incidents involving students.
"We also advise students to take the necessary steps.
"I hope it will not cause problems among them later.
"(This is) the MTL season during which we need to take precautionary measures and so on," he said while inspecting the preparations for the Putrajaya Festival of Ideas (Putrajaya FOI) here today.
Yesterday, the media reported that the Kelantan government had advised the public not to engage in any outdoor activities during this MTL season.
Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud said this is because of the unpredictable and rainy weather in Kelantan at this time.
Earlier, Zambry was reported to have asked higher education institutions to make the necessary preparations to face flood disasters following the MTL phenomenon this month.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (Metmalaysia) recently issued a warning that the country is currently in the MTL period, which typically brings the monsoon season and extraordinary rainfall distribution to the Peninsula.
Based on this factor, the community is reminded to plan with care any recreational or extreme sport activities, whether on land or water or in the air.
During the MTL season, any plans to engage in extreme activities require a high level of vigilance because the weather and environmental conditions are usually unpredictable.
MTL, or more commonly known as the monsoon season in Malaysia, which began on Nov 5, is expected to continue until March 2025. – Bernama