KUCHING: Students from 11 villages in the Tong Nibong area will soon enjoy full educational facilities at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Triang in Serian,
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem said construction of the school commenced some three months ago.
For now, the seven-year old pupils in Standard One have to stay at their current school’s boarding house. When the new school is completed, the four- to five-hour journey between home and school will be a thing of the past.
“Boarding facilities are available at the two schools they go to now, but imagine these small children leaving home and their parents to live alone there,” Riot said.
“Once the new school is completed, they can commute straight from home, or still be close to their parents if they opt to make use of the boarding facilities there.”
Riot, who is Serian MP, was speaking at a ‘Majlis Gerak Kerja Turun Padang dan Perjumpaan Golongan Sasar’ at the Kampung Matung Mara-u Multipurpose Hall in Serian recently.
He declined to reveal the building cost but pointed out that it is higher because it is in a rural area. He also added that the area size has yet to be determined although this will be a full primary school, with Standard One up to Six.
At the same event, Riot said Serian can expect more development in the next three years. A type-3 health clinic is also in the works and the site for the Industrial Training Institute is still being identified.
Currently, the 300 villages in the Serian parliamentary area enjoy tarred roads, clean water and 24-hour electricity supply. However, 40 per cent of the villages still relying on gravity water pumps and need a proper supply of clean water.