Five dilapidated schools in Sarawak to be repaired with promised RM350 mln

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File photo shows a classroom in a dilapidated primary school in Sarawak.

KUCHING: Five dilapidated schools in Sarawak will be the first batch to be repaired and rebuilt when the amount of RM350 million for school repairs is allocated to the state this year.

Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong today disclosed that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had replied that the Sarawak government was ready to pay the RM350 million at any time so that the same amount can be allocated to the state, since education is on the federal government’s list.

He revealed that following last week’s meeting involving officials from his ministry and the federal Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Ministry of Education, these two federal bodies wanted the repairs to be done on five schools for a start next month.

He also said these five schools, which have not been revealed, are among the 415 classified as ‘teruk’ (in bad condition) or totally dilapidated schools.

“No dateline (for the payment by us). We will pay according to what we have promised.

“The chief minister has written to Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng that he has agreed to pay this RM350 million at any time (as a contra loan payment). Once everything is settled, we can start,” he told reporters after officiating at a skills and innovative competition at Kolej Vokasional Kuching, Batu Lintang today.

He also hit back at those who had publicly commented and criticised the Sarawak government without knowing what was going on.

He said Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen, for example, had alleged that the Sarawak government was delaying the contra loan payment.

“Chong said we blame the Pakatan federal government. We never blamed anybody because Sarawak government trusts the federal government since education is on the federal list, and it should be the sole responsibility of the federal government to take care of education.

“We have been putting a lot of trust in the federal government whether it was Barisan Nasional for the past 50 years or Pakatan now.

“My ministry was established by the chief minister on May 9, 2017 because he must have sensed something wrong with our schools. And later we found a lot of schools were in terrible condition. So who is to be blamed when we have put our trust on the Ministry of Education all this while,” he said.

He also hoped the work on the five schools can start next month since the meeting last week with the two federal bodies had “more or less resolved almost every issue”.

He said his ministry officials also met with Public Works Department (JKR) Sarawak on this matter on Wednesday and another meeting is scheduled next week.

“The contract will be handled by JKR Sarawak, and tendered by the Federal Tender Board Sarawak. This is going to be an open tender.

“As long as we have already written (to MoF), we are optimistic (the allocation will come this year),” he said, adding that he hoped there would be no more arguments from both political divides on this matter.