No takers for free white school shoes
Sunday, 30 Dec 2018
by intan amalina mohd ali
Sitting on the shelf: The free white shoes being offered at the Uni1One outlet in George Town.
GEORGE TOWN: White school shoes are now so unpopular that there are no takers for them, even when given out free.
At the Uni1One outlet in Jalan Datuk Keramat here, the promotion for a free pair of white school shoes for any purchase of over RM200 has drawn a lukewarm response, despite school re-opening in mere days.
“Even some customers who spent more than RM200 declined to take home a free pair of white school shoes.
“The new black shoes ruling has affected our business as we now have an excess of white ones.
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In Jalan Magazine here, employees of Kimnovak Sdn Bhd were seen helping customers with back-to-school supplies such as uniforms, school bags, socks and shoes.
Co-owner Lillian Lim, 50, said there was much confusion among parents who came to the store wondering if they should get white or black shoes for their children.
“To play safe, most of them buy black school shoes.
“Business is good right now and we anticipate more parents dropping by to shop for school essentials over the weekend,” she said.
Fauziah Mat, 48, said it was rather difficult to find black school shoes for her son who wore a size seven.
“I should have done the shopping earlier but was quite busy with work. We will probably come again to get a second pair of black school shoes.
“We drove all the way from Teluk Bahang to town to get the school supplies,” she said, adding that her son would enrol in Form One next year.
State Education Department director Mohd Jamil Mohamed reiterated that schoolchildren could still wear black or white footwear until 2021.
“The schools cannot decide unless all the parents (and guardians) agree,” he said.
In October, the Education Ministry announced that the black shoe ruling for government schools would be fully enforced in 2021, meaning that all students in government schools would still be allowed to wear white shoes until the end of 2020.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/12/30/no-takers-for-free-white-school-shoes/#lSIGaRx40WIkO2qA.99
