KUCHING: The federal government has been labelled as insincere following the apparent reversal of its initial decision to accept the RM1 billion contra loan from the Sarawak government to fix dilapidated schools in the state.
Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah
Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the deal agreed upon by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik in February was a win-win situation for all parties concerned and should have been maintained.
“Under the deal, not only would our dilapidated schools be rebuilt or repaired, but Sarawak’s debt to Putrajaya would have been reduced. The federal government would also be discharging its responsibility (over education).
“If the PH (Pakatan Harapan) government is sincere in assisting educational development in Sarawak, then it should not have rejected the contra loan deal, but accepted it with an open heart,” she said via a press statement yesterday.
Fatimah was responding to the revelation by Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin on Monday that Putrajaya had rejected the agreement and now wanted the RM1 billion to be considered as ‘advance payment’ on federal loans owed by Sarawak.
Fatimah stressed on the urgency of repairing these dilapidated schools as it involved the wellbeing and future of students, as well as the development of the country’s human capital.
“This matter involves education and the future of our children. It also involves human capital development and national dignity,” she said, adding that the federal government should not have ‘flip-flopped’ on the deal, which was a pragmatic solution to the issue.