KUCHING: The Sarawak government has set aside RM123 million for various school projects across the state this year alone.
Of the total, RM66 million is meant for two new schools, namely SK Ulu Segan in Bintulu and SK Maludam in Betong, said Assistant Minister of Education and Technological Research Dr Annuar Rapaee.
“This money comes from the state government and not from the federal government. We also have rural transformation initiatives whereby RM20 million have been allocated to benefit 63 schools.
“We also have this Chief Minister Special Allocation or Fund worth RM37 million to benefit 90 schools,” he told the august House when replying to supplementary questions from Paulus Palu Gumbang (GPS-Batu Danau) yesterday.
Dr Annuar said the Sarawak government had allocated RM123 million for the development of schools while the federal government only approved RM100 million for repairing and building dilapidated schools in Sarawak.
“This is how serious we are in making sure that the dilapidated schools in Sarawak are repaired.
“Education comes under the Federal List but the Sarawak government is aware that schools are very important for the people of Sarawak,” he said.
At a press conference later, he said Sarawak would require RM3 billion to RM4 billion to repair all the dilapidated schools in the state.
Asked how many dilapidated schools there are in Sarawak, he said: “Seventy per cent of the total. But they (dilapidated schools) are categorised as 1, 2 or 3.”
To another question, he said over 100 of the total dilapidated schools are in a dire need of repair.
Dr Annuar said the Sarawak government would continue to negotiate with the federal government as far as the RM1 billion contra state government debt to the federal government was concerned.
He felt there was no need for any party to make any hoo-ha over the issue while negotiation is on-going.
According to him, all school projects, once approved by the Ministry of Education, would be supervised by the state Public Works Department (JKR).
On Chong Chieng Jen (PH-Kota Sentosa) having raised similar issue in the House on Thursday, Dr Annuar said: “He is a politician, of course he wants to score political point.”
Chong on Thursday said the PH government did not make a U-turn on the RM1 billion contra deal with the Sarawak government while alleging that the Sarawak government wanted to implement school projects in their own way and ‘send the bill to the federal government’ for payment.