Social Affairs Minister Gus Ipul Issues Directives Ahead of Sekolah Rakyat Student Orientation

Minister of Social Affairs, Saifullah Yusuf or Gus Ipul, has given special directives ahead of the implementation of the Masa Pengenalan Lingkungan Sekolah (MPLS) for Sekolah Rakyat on 14 July 2026. He stressed that all work units must work hand-in-hand to ensure the MPLS for new Sekolah Rakyat students runs smoothly at various locations. This was revealed by him while chairing a coordination meeting on the readiness of the Sekolah Rakyat MPLS at the Ministry of Social Affairs office today. “Because this is in the interest of the entire Ministry of Social Affairs, not just the responsibility of one party, everyone must know, everyone must be involved, everyone must listen, and everyone must contribute,” said Gus Ipul in a written statement on Thursday (2/7/2026). The meeting discussed four clusters of readiness. The first cluster discussed the physical readiness, infrastructure, and equipment at Sekolah Rakyat. The second cluster discussed the readiness for student migration and recruitment. The third cluster discussed the readiness of school principals, teachers, and education personnel. The fourth cluster discussed the readiness for the implementation of the Sekolah Rakyat MPLS. In addition to work units within the Ministry of Social Affairs, Gus Ipul also asked the heads of centres to oversee the process of moving students from the Sekolah Rakyat Rintisan (Pilot) to the Sekolah Rakyat Permanen (Permanent). He also reminded them that the facilities left behind at the previous location must be maintained. “Do not let chairs, benches, and other equipment left there become damaged. All of that must be maintained. Do not let anything go missing,” he said. The Sekolah Rakyat MPLS will be held from 14-31 July 2026. After that, the matriculation period is scheduled to take place from 3 August to 30 September 2026. The series of MPLS activities will include an introduction to the school, health checks, an introduction to the rules, character-building activities, and other supporting activities. Furthermore, Gus Ipul conveyed six directives to strengthen the readiness for the implementation of the Sekolah Rakyat MPLS: 1. Reactivate the Sekolah Rakyat Joint Secretariat and related task forces and ensure the readiness of the transfer from the Sekolah Rakyat Rintisan to the Sekolah Rakyat Permanen and the implementation of MPLS with a target of 14 July 2026. 2. Carry out a comprehensive simulation of the transfer from the Sekolah Rakyat Rintisan to the Sekolah Rakyat Permanen, starting with a trial at one Sekolah Rakyat Permanen location before being implemented in all schools. 3. Accelerate the distribution of school equipment and the procurement of new student supplies and ensure there are no delays or irregularities in the procurement process. 4. Enhance coordination with the Ministry of Public Works regarding the transfer of knowledge on the management of Sekolah Rakyat Permanen facilities and infrastructure, including electricity, clean water, building security, and other supporting facilities. 5. Reactivate the Control Task Force to address obstacles ahead of 14 July, prepare risk mitigation, and ensure each Sekolah Rakyat location has a Person in Charge (PIC) monitoring readiness. 6. Map out additional budget requirements (if necessary) to support the implementation of Sekolah Rakyat. Gus Ipul asked all ranks to get involved in the process. “I hope everyone gets involved. Turun tangan, not tangan turun, yes. Turun tangan,” he concluded.