By Veena Bharwani

MOUNT Ophir, a popular destination for Singapore students seeking adventure, won't be a happy stomping ground during next month's school holidays.

Many schools have put off their trips to the Johor hill resort in the wake of the Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak.

Malaysia has two confirmed infections so far.

Gunung Ledang Resorts, a popular stopover for Singaporeans trekking up Mount Ophir, said that all bookings from Singapore schools for the holidays had been cancelled.

Its operations manager, Mr Tey Chin Chye, 32, told The New Paper: 'At first, the trips were on, but over the past two weeks all schools have called us to cancel their trips.'

He could not confirm the number of schools involved.

Malaysian newspaper New Straits Times reported that the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) had sent a directive to Singapore travel agents to cancel bookings made by schools for the June holidays.

No directive to agents

However, MOE has clarified that that it did not send any such directive to travel agents.

The ministry said it had only advised schools to continue to review their travel plans, particularly to H1N1-affected areas.

In an e-mail reply to The New Paper, an MOE spokesman said: 'Schools, Post-Secondary Education Institutions (PSEIs), kindergartens and special education schools have been asked to observe any travel advisories by the Ministry of Health and to review travel plans particularly to affected countries.'

Two travel agents contacted by The New Paper said that over the past few weeks, schools had called off trips to countries affected by H1N1.

Chan Brothers said it has seen a 60 per cent dip in overseas bookings from schools for this month and next.

But the travel agency is working to see how it can postpone the trips to a later date.

In an e-mail reply, Chan Brothers' senior manager for marketing communications, Ms Annie Yeo, said: 'In view of the mild strain of virus, we are discussing with those who have cancelled and also other schools to review their plans.'

She said most trips were to the US, which has had 4,714 confirmed cases and four deaths as of yesterday. Three teachers from different schools said their trips to Malaysia, Thailand and Japan have been postponed or cancelled.

Queensway Secondary called off its Japan trip following the rise of confirmed infections there.

Broadrick Secondary has postponed its trips to Thailand and China next month, but is still going ahead with a trip to Korea in September.

'We originally had plans to take students to China and Thailand during the June holidays,' said a Broadrick Secondary teacher, who declined to be named.

'But because of the H1N1 virus, there's not much interest in the trips, so we are postponing them to the December holidays.'

China and Thailand have confirmed H1N1 cases.

But not all schools are cancelling trips.

A teacher from Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School said it is going ahead with trips to Britain and China next month.

Said the teacher, who declined to be named: 'We had reservations at first, but we had a meeting with parents and we are going ahead.'

She said the school will be taking added precautions to safeguard the health of the students.

'We've upped our insurance to cover potential quarantine and we will also be taking face masks along on the trip,' she said.

This article was first published in The New Paper.