KOTA KINABALU: The State Government will provide a RM200,000 grant for the Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS) to organize seminars for Chinese schools on changes in the country’s education policy.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman announced the grant at the ninth installation ceremony of FCAS here on Monday.
FCAS president Datuk Seri Panglima Sari Nuar said the programme for 80 Chinese kindergartens and equal number of government-aided Chinese primary schools is aimed at creating awareness on the significance of the latest changes in the education policy as well as the economic transformation programme.
“Fuller understanding of the government and education policies would indeed be useful in shaping our future generations, starting from kindergartens and primary schools,” he said.
Sari suggested the State Government allocate plantation or commercial land to each private secondary schools to enable them to be financially self-sufficient.
He said the land, if given, shall not be sold but developed to generate income to maintain and further develop the schools.
This way, the Chinese community would not feel marginalized, he said.
He said the nine independent Chinese secondary schools in Sabah have produced numerous outstanding students who went on to become professionals and successful entrepreneurs.
Sari also proposed a RM800,000 grant from the State Government to organize the 28th Malaysian Cultural Festival next year.
The event is organized on rotation basis among the 13 states in Malaysia, and will cost RM1.6 million. It is expected to be launched by the Prime Minister.
Sari said Musa had pledged to give the proposal due consideration.
He said the federation spent RM800,000 in organizing the 12th Malaysian Cultural Festival in 1995 without financial support from Federal and State Governments.
Sari requested that more professionals such as economists, agricultural experts,
Also present at the event were Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Edward Yong Oui Fah, Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development Pang Yuk Ming, president of the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia Tan Sri Pheng Yin Hua, organizing chairman Datuk Goh Tian Chuan, and the Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Kuching, Xie Fugen.