Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah
KUCHING: Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah is questioning the sense of direction of Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik for proposing hotel pools be used by students for swimming activities.
Abdul Karim, who is Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice president, said Maszlee should have just focused on how to improve on the national Education system, the syllabus, repair of dilapidated schools, proficiency in English, assistance for children from poor families instead of directing his focus on school shoes, socks, barring opposition elected representatives from attending school functions and now, using hotel pools for students.
Abdul Karim said hotel pools are owned by private entities and meant for hotel guests and therefore not for schools students.
“Hotel guests will definitely not like the idea of sharing pools with ‘outsiders’. What has happened to our Minister of Education? Is he seeking cheap publicity or he just woke up on the wrong side of the bed?” Abdul Karim added.
He was commenting on Maszlee’s statement yesterday urging the private sector, especially hotels with swimming pools to offer the facilities to schools for student swimming activities.
Maszlee said discussions on the matter would be held with the hotels so they could work with the schools and treat the move as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
“We also hope that the hotels will be proactive in taking its own initiative after this announcement,” he was quoted as saying during a news conference after launching the 2018 Life Saving Skills programme and the Water Rescue and Safety Awareness Module yesterday.