Chai (centre) shows the design of the new SJK Chung Hua Bako in Samarahan.
KUCHING: A Chinese school board hopes that the Ministry of Education (MoE) would fully fund an estimated cost of RM8 million slated for relocating SJKC Kai Nan from Sibu to Kota Samarahan.
President of Association of Boards of Management of Aided Chinese Primary Schools for Kuching, Samarahan and Serian Divisions, Jonathan Chai, says they are still waiting for the approval for the proposed relocation.
“Once the relocation application is approved, we hope the MoE would fund 100 per cent the cost of relocating SJKC Kai Nan.
“The Chinese community has already exhausted its means for the relocation of SJK Chung Hua Bako to Samarahan. Given the current economic situation, we hope the MoE would fully fund the proposed relocation exercise of SJKC Kai Nan,” he told reporters here on Friday.
Chai believed that the Chinese community would continue to give their support for SJKC Kai Nan to be relocated from Sibu to Samarahan, but they would also be looking forward to receiving financial aid from the federal government.
He said the new school block of SJKC Kai Nan was designed to have 24 classrooms.
He said the association had paid RM500,000 for the earth-filling works on the new site in Kota Samarahan, which was funded by the Sarawak government.
He said the population of Kota Samarahan had been recording a steady increase, and an additional aided Chinese primary school in the division would help meet the increasing demand.
According to official statistics, the population of Samarahan Division stood at 460,000 – or about 47,000 households – in 2016.
Chai also said SJK Chung Hua No 2 in Tabuan Jaya near Kota Samarahan had to reject over 200 new pupils every year.
Given all these factors, he said it was necessary for the association to relocate SJKC Kai Nan to Samarahan to meet not just the current demand, but also future ones.
The design of the new SJK Chung Hua Bako in Samarahan, Chai said, would be approved by the MoE during a special meeting fixed for April 22.
He said the design, once approved by the MoE, would be submitted to the authorities including the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, and the Land and Survey Department for approval, before the works could commence.
Chai said the MoE had stipulated that SJK Chung Hua Bako had to be operational by 2021, and as such, the association placed high hope on the ministry extending the approval on April 22.
This proposed new school block was designed with 18 classrooms and a multipurpose hall, estimated to cost about RM6 million.
The association had raised sufficient fund for this relocation exercise, but would still be hoping that the MoE could channel some funds for the school to acquire tables, chairs and other equipment like computers.