Rep wants SMK Singgai project to be completed soon, saying his constituents disappointed, angry
The site of SMK Singgai that was supposed to be completed on April 30 this year.
KUCHING: The government, particularly the Education Ministry, has been urged to expedite the completion of SMK Singgai project without further delay.
Tasik Biru assemblyman Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie said the people were very disappointed and angry with the contractor who had failed to deliver the project.
“It is true that the completion of the project should be April this year, but now it appears very much delayed. The people are very disappointed and angry because the government is so kind to give the project to the ‘rakyat’ but the contractor cannot deliver.
“So, the government should take necessary action to expedite the completion without further delay,” Nansian, who is also Assistant Minister of Industrial Estate Development, told The Borneo Post yesterday. Nansian, who is also Assistant Minister of Community Services, was responding to PKR Mas Gading branch chairman Boniface Willy Tumek’s claim that the people in Singgai and those in Bau District felt being let down as the highly anticipated project was hardly 50 per cent completed.
The project to construct a secondary school near Kampung Apar in Singgai, Bau commenced on April 30, 2013 and was supposed to be completed on April 30 this year.
“This is despite a 2014 Gawai promise made by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie, the elected representative for Tasik Biru.
“That promise was made in the presence of Yang Di-Pertua Negeri Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem during the Redeems Gawai 2014 dinner at the Redeems Centre at Kampung Apar, Singgai on June 26 last year,” Boniface said.
Boniface, who is state PKR vice chairman, said the local people had high hopes of having a secondary school in Singgai area when the then Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Puad Zakarshi launched the SMK Singgai project on April 14, 2011, two days before the 2011 state election.
“The high hopes of the people followed on the remarks made by Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie one day earlier at Salcra Jagoi multipurpose hall. He had then remarked that Bau District was in dire need of a new secondary school.
“He also said that the approval from the Barisan Nasional government was a reflection of the government’s emphasis on education and human resource development, further adding that it is only Barisan Nasional that has the plans and experience to run the country.” Boniface said there were signs of something amiss when Mohd Puad performed the earth-breaking and launched the SMK Singgai project, by the absence of a project signboard and the hasty manner in how the event was organised.
“Some though did wonder why the launch and earth-breaking site was marked only by some stones taken from Sungai Adis. There was no mention of the contractor for the project, the project value, the date of commencement and date of completion of the project.
“When the project was finally commenced April 2013, the people found out the original allocation of RM60 million had been reduced to RM45 million and a multi-purpose hall had been taken out from the project’s package.”
Since then, pointed out Boniface, the SMK Singgai project had become a symbol of the lack of commitment and seriousness on the part of the federal government, particularly in the education sector.
“It has also become a symbol of the inability of the government to manage development projects crucial to the community. The people in Singgai are peeved that Muhyiddin did not do enough to ensure that his Gawai promise to the community and to Nansian is fulfilled.”
He said it saddened the local community that the circumstances surrounding the unfulfilled promise had made Nansian, one of their own, look ineffective.
“The people in Bau are now left to wonder, not only if SMK Singgai will be completed in time for the academic year 2016, but also whether SMK Jagoi, another school promised by Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie to his constituents will see the light of day.”