Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing
SIBU: Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing yesterday hit out at Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching for taking education matters lightly.
In a press statement here yesterday, Tiong described Teo as “ignorant” for thinking schools whose petrol subsidies had been cut were government-aided schools.
“This is absurd. I’m puzzled she would make such a statement.’’
Tiong said 21 primary schools in the rural areas were affected when the government cut funding for their power supply and they included 17 mission primary schools.
He said such negligence on the part of the federal government was an utterly rude shock to the people.
“Then came Teo’s statement saying these schools were government-aided schools. She claimed the government had looked into the matter in January. If so, would such negligence still have happened?’’
Tiong said since it had happened, it proved Teo’s incompetence as a deputy minister.
He was puzzled that with such an important ministerial post, Teo could be so ignorant of the (education) situation in East Malaysia, and taking the matter lightly, and because of this, she has made life difficult for the affected schools.
“Are we going back to the olden days when students had to light oil lamps to study at night?’’
Tiong said Teo only received her reports from her officers in the comfort of her air-conditioned office, adding that she is not aware of the real situation in Sarawak’s rural areas.
“With such a working attitude and standard, I wonder how they (federal govt) can upgrade the education system. Don’t talk about the revolutionary change in education development yet because they can’t even move on from where the previous government had gone.
“As I see it, they are only good in putting on a show for the sake of publicity and political mileage.”
Tiong said Teo and the other PH politicians should stop shouting that the country had gone bankrupt to create a negative impact.
“Be committed towards education development. Do not mislead our young ones,’’ he added.