DAP asks for annual grants for aided schools

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KUCHING: Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak secretary Chong Chieng Jen has called on the government to allocate annual grants to government-aided Chinese primary and mission schools.

The Bandar Kuching MP pointed out that Chinese schools’ management councils in the state prefer annual grants to sporadic allocations.

“The pledged allocation of over RM70 million for Chinese primary schools and mission schools here is typical election goodies.

“What we ask for is systematic allocation of fund announced in the annual budget, not sporadic allocations during election time,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

Bringing up the 2,000 hectares of land promised to Chinese independent schools statewide, Chong said he did not want to see people get into legal battles as the natives claim rights in many parcels of land.

He said the state is dealing with over 200 cases on claims of native customary right (NCR) land.

“Our natives are claiming their rights as they say their lands have been encroached. Some even say their lands are being acquired without any compensation,” he added.

He feared that Chinese independent schools might get nothing unless the land alienated to them came with no NCR-related claims.

He said people have to understand that such court cases were normally time consuming and costly.

“Therefore, it is best that the government could allocate annual funds for Chinese schools,” he stressed.

On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced RM73.68 million for various types of primary schools in the state.