MALACCA, MALAYSIA: The parent-teacher association of a school in Tiang Dua is furious over the Education Ministry's directive that students and teachers need not wear masks to school as there "was no threat" from the bacterial meningitis outbreak at the Road Transport Department Academy.

The school, Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Tiang Dua, which has 160 pupils, is located just two kilometres from the academy.

The students and teachers were required to wear masks at all times when they were in school and the surrounding areas, following a decision taken by the PTA, the school authorities and parents on Sunday night.

A parent, who declined to be identified, said the ministry's decision early yesterday showed that the authorities did not care for the children, who were much more vulnerable to any infection compared with adults.

Checks at the school at about 11am revealed that the students and teachers were no longer wearing the masks.

State education director Isa Abu said that he received the directive yesterday.

He said the ministry was given an assurance by the Health Ministry that bacterial meningitis was not airborne and that the distance between the school and academy was not near enough to warrant masks to be worn.

"It was also mentioned that the wearing of masks would create panic among the people in the surrounding areas."

Tiang Dua village headman Chan Kwong Wu, when met at the school, said he had received numerous complaints from parents distressed after being told that their children were told to stop wearing the masks.

"The parents have said that if their children were not allowed to wear masks, then they would not send them to school for the time being," Chan said.

It is learnt that the director-general of Education Datuk Alimuddin Md Dom and health department officials would visit the school today to address the matter.