KOTA MARUDU: The Cabinet Technical Committee on Bumiputera in Sabah and Sarawak which met on Tuesday has decided to form a special committee to monitor the implementation of education infrastructures in rural Sabah and Sarawak.
Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Ongkili said this step was to ensure improvement in the standard of education facilities in the two states.
Dr Maximus co-chairs the Cabinet Technical Committee on Bumiputera in Sabah and Sarawak with Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Dato’ Sri Douglas Uggah Embas. The scope of the Technical Committee includes position of the Bumiputera minorities in the two states in the public service, health facilities, basic infrastructure, education and poverty.
“The meeting decided that this special committee will be set up and chaired by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun.
“The special committee will function to monitor the implementation of all education infrastructures in rural Sabah and Sarawak, including ensuring planned projects are implemented on time and consistent with priorities such as supply of clean water and maintenance of hybrid solar power supply in the rural schools that are reported to be non-functioning,” he added.
Dr Maximus, who is also Kota Marudu member of parliament, announced this after opening the SMK Tandek Parent-Teacher Association’s annual general meeting here yesterday.
He also said that education was key to the rural economic transformation and national development.
In line with this, at the school level the role of teachers and parents was crucial for the students’ personal development and academic success.
“We need trained and committed teachers as well as parents who see education as an investment for their children’s future. The success of the students is also through hard work and discipline,” he said.
At the same time, he added the government would continue to intensify investment in the education sector by improving basic infrastructure such as providing modern classrooms, trained teachers, science labs as well as water and electricity supply.
“The needs in Sabah and Sarawak are still huge and gaps exist between the standard of facilities available in Sabah and Sarawak schools compared with those in the peninsula.
“The special committee is assigned to look into this aspect,” Dr Maximus said.