Adenan prepares to flag off the powerboat race participants as (from second left) Alexander, Jamilah, Gramong, Jabu and Masing look on.
KANOWIT: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem said he will look for more funds for rural schools in Sarawak.
He said the schools in the state are either in bad condition or need urgent repair.
“I want to get more money either from state or federal government for our rural schools,” he said when officiating at the powerboat race held in conjunction with Kanowit Festival.
It was revealed in the Third Series of the 2014 Auditor-General’s Report that a total of 124 schools in the state were in deplorable condition and needed to be repaired immediately.
The Report tabled in Dewan Rakyat revealed that 85.5 per cent of the 145 schools visited were in ‘bad shape’ with major damages to the structure which posed threat to students’ safety.
It also said in Sarawak Education Department’s record as of Dec 31, 2014, a total of 388 from 1,452 schools in the state had been classified as in bad condition, with 327 suffering from minor damages and 464 medium.
Meanwhile, Adenan reiterated that he needed five more years as the Chief Minister because he still had ‘unfinished business’.
“Two years is not enough. I need five more years not because of the position.
“I am not crazy about position. I have been state and federal minister, I have been state assemblyman. I don’t want any more position,” he said.
He said when he first received his appointment as the Chief Minister, the first thing that came to his mind was how to help the poor and needy as well as the disabled.
“If you want to look for the poor, they can be found in rural areas and so is the rich that can be found in urban areas.
“There is a gap between the rich and the poor and rural and urban areas.
“That’s why I asked for RM500 million last year for rural development and I will request for another RM500 million in the coming State Legislative Assembly sitting.
“With that we will have RM1 billion for rural development,” he said, adding he would also raise the allowances for the disabled starting next year.
Adenan’s wife Datin Patinggi Datuk Jamilah Anu, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, Land Development Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing, Assistant Land Development Minister Datuk Gramong Juna, Kanowit MP Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang and Ngemah assemblyman Alexander Vincent were present.