Fatimah (front) inspects the abandoned main school building. Alfred is at third left while Lawas Education Officer Awang @ Ibrahim Ahmat is at fourth left.
LONG SUKANG: The abandoned construction project at SK Long Sukang, Lawas will be retendered.
Headmaster Alfred Asut Barok said the actual cost of the project is RM19 million, but only RM14 million has been approved.
During a visit to the school yesterday, Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said the project is listed under Rolling Plan 1, which is of the highest priority.
“The project was abandoned due to cliff instability due to soil erosion, which brings risk to both the building and its users,” she said.
Fatimah also announced a minor rural project grant of RM10,000 for the school and RM5,000 for the Long Sukang village security and development committee.
The original RM25 million project commenced in February 2009 and was scheduled to be completed in February 2012.
However, soil movement affected the right side of the main building and construction on the main block as well as the canteen was abandoned.
The completed portions of the project are the preschool block, guardhouse, main gate road, girls’ and boys’ hostels, dining hall as well as path to the hostels and dining hall.
At present, the girls’ hostel block also houses boys’ hostel rooms, the headmaster’s room, a resource centre and meeting room; while the boys’ hostel block has been turned into six classrooms, teachers’ room, science lab, music room and storeroom.
It is mandatory for all of the school’s 104 pupils, from nine villages nearby, to stay in the hostel.
The school’s teachers are also squatting at the Agriculture Department’s quarters due to the lack of facilities.