Construction of SMK Balingian to commence in May

0

SIBU: Works to build the proposed SMK Balingian under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) is expected to start in May 2017, according to Balingian assemblyman Abdul Yakub Arbi.

He said: “According to YB (Datuk) Fatimah’s (Abdullah) reply during the DUN (State Legislative Assembly) Sitting, it will start in May, next year.

“I’ll try my best to push for it as during my term as a YB (elected people’s representative) – that is what I want (to see). Even though, they do earth-filling first, that is good enough—at least something to be seen by the people.

“That was promised during the election time. It means the government of the day doesn’t simply promise,” he told The Borneo Post, emphasising the importance of having a secondary school in his area.

Abdul Yakub said this when asked on the latest development of the proposed SMK Balingian.

He noted that there are many primary schools around the area but not a secondary school.

Having a secondary school will reduce the burden on parents, he opined, pointing out that the nearest secondary school is in Mukah, some 40 minutes’ drive from Balingian.

“For now, we are all going to Mukah (for secondary education). For those parents who can’t afford it, they may not send their children to (secondary) school anymore.

“At the same time, (with a secondary school) we can also accommodate children from other areas. For example, if the father is transferred to Mukah or Balingian, the children can study there,” he explained.

He explained the project was not delayed but had no funding. The funding was only made available under the 11th Malaysia Plan although they applied for the project under 9MP.

Meanwhile, the then Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had promised to build SMK Balingian during the Balingian by-election in 2014.

Muhyiddin was reported by the media then as having announced the approval of RM60 million for the building of a new 24-classroom secondary school which would be able to accommodate 800 students from the Balingian sub-district community.

Additionally, media reports on a gathering at Kampung Masjid in Balingian sub-district in April this year quoted Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as saying the proposed SMK Balingian would be constructed soon. He said that land had been identified and the building plan was being drawn up.