Dr Annuar (second left) presents the special award to Nurul witnessed by Hosmawati (left).
SIBU: The Sarawak state government has approved an allocation of RM910,000 for SMK Agama Sibu’s hall construction project.
Assistant Minister of Technological Research and Education Dr Annuar Rapaee announced the allocation when speaking at the school’s presentation of excellence award 2018 ceremony here yesterday.
“Chief Minister (Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg) has approved the amount which has been credited into the school’s PTA (parent-teacher association) bank account for the building of a new hall at the school.
“Therefore, I on behalf of the Muslim community in Sibu record our gratitude to the Chief Minister for the allocation to SMK Agama Sibu,” he said.
Dr Annuar who is Nangka assemblyman said that the work to construct the hall is expected to be tendered by year-end.
“In terms of drafting, we are ready and hope to tender it end of next month… construction may take nine to 12 months.
“The school and its PTA have waited a long time to get the project off the ground. Once completed, the hall can accommodate all the students during assembly and also has three badminton courts,” he said.
Earlier in his speech, Dr Annuar also expressed his concern over the low number of students statewide taking Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
He added so far only 23 per cent of the total number of students in Sarawak took up science and mathematics and the situation has deteriorated.
“For example, in this school (SMK Agama Sibu), last year 35.6 per cent of the students took science subjects. However, this year it decreased slightly to 23.2 percent,” he said.
Dr Annuar thus hoped that teachers and parents could work together to encourage students to take up science and mathematics subjects in schools.
At the ceremony, Nurul Ain Mansor won the Principal’s Special Award 2018.
Also present were Sibu District education officer Foji Radin Radin Abdul Rahim, principal Ustazah Hosmawati Bairi, community leader Temenggong Datuk Wan Hamid Edruce and PTA chairman Mohd Safree Mohd Kassim.