Penampang folk want school promised by PM – NGO

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KOTA KINABALU: Pergerakkan Pemantau Sukarelawan Penampang (PANTAU Penampang), a community movement based in Penampang yesterday reminded the Government to expedite the construction of a full-fledged secondary school to cater to the needs of students from Upper Moyog and the interiors district of Penampang as promised by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2012.

“The issue was first highlighted in 2012 by an independent Facebook youth movement known as Penampang Youth Movement For Change (PYM4C) who made a ground research and interviews with the relevant JKKKs and villagers in Upper Moyog.

“Their research and findings were thereafter published in several local dailies in Sabah,” said PANTAU Penampang president Jo Nandu.

Subsequent to the expose made by the said youth movement, BN Penampang itself had agreed on such need and issued its statement in May 2012 on the need for a secondary school to be built in Upper Moyog.

The statement by BN Penampang was then later ratified by the Prime Minister in his speech during the launching ceremony of Inobong Bridge Penampang, Nandu explained.

“Based on our recent interviews with several villagers from Upper Moyog, we are made to understand that the Government is still trying to identify the most suitable site for the school.

“A new site had then been identified which is located next to the Tamu Babagon and the survey works had already been completed.

“Obviously the process of identifying the most suitable site is a normal procedure but what perplexed us and thousands of villagers at Upper Moyog is, ‘why does it take almost three years to complete such a process?” he queried.

Nandu reiterated that the need for three years just to complete the process of identifying the most suitable site is ridiculous.

“What is the reason for this unacceptable delay? Is it because the district is now being represented by opposition elected representatives, thus the construction had to be delayed?” he asked.

In fact, just a few days ago, the Chief Minister of Sabah had praised the Prime Minister with the approval given on the funding needed relating to the flood mitigation plan in the district of Sabah.

“And perhaps since the Prime Minister had already promised that he will ensure that the school will be built at Upper Moyog, I do not see any reason at all for our Chief Minister and the BN leaders in Penampang to remind him about his promise,” he added.