Julaihi (third left) gets ready to perform the launch gimmick for the Yayasan Sarawak roadshow, as (from left) Selamat, Mohamad Adzlie, Ajis and Osman look on.
SEBUYAU: There is still no news about the SMK Sebuyau rebuilding project, which had been approved under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) at a cost of RM80 million.
In highlighting this, Assistant Minister of Infrastructure and Ports Development Datuk Julaihi Narawi said the tender for the secondary school project was also supposed to be issued last year.
“The people in the area really hope that new school project could continue. So let us forget about our political differences and ideologies, and (we hope that) the federal government could continue with the project for the benefit of the students in the rural areas,” Julaihi, who is Sebuyau assemblyman, pointed out when met after launching Yayasan Sarawak’s ‘Education Roadshow’ at SMK Sebuyau yesterday.
SMK Sebuyau, which opened in 1980, is the only secondary school in the constituency.
According to Julaihi, the site for the new school would be at the Sebuyau New Township.
“SMK Sebuyau has 836 students and 73 teachers. It is no longer conducive to the students and the teachers.”
Meanwhile, Julaihi said the roadshow would help inform the rural students and their parents about the education assistance provided by Yayasan Sarawak.
“Financial constraints have always been an obstacle for the rural students when it comes to pursuing (further) education, so it’s good that Yayasan Sarawak is bringing the programme to the rural areas,” he said, adding that the foundation had also set up the Centre of Technical Excellence Sarawak (Centexs) for individuals, especially youths, to acquire technical skills.
There are Centexs campuses in Kuching and Betong, while those in Lundu, Lawas and Dalat are still under construction.
“Yayasan Sarawak is offering various assistance and schemes related to education, so the students in the rural areas must not look at SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) as ‘the ceiling’; rather, they should look at it as a step towards furthering their studies,” he said, adding that education as the key for the rural folk to improving their livelihood and escaping poverty.
Julaihi also assured his constituents that he would continue giving out allocations to schools across Sebuyau.
He said he had given RM10,000 each to 19 primary schools, while SMK Sebuyau had received RM30,000.
Later, Yayasan Sarawak representative Mohamad Adzlie Ibrahim announced the provision of a RM5,000 grant each to SMK Sebuyau, SMK Gedong, SMK Sri Sadong and SMK Simunjan No 1 for them to run educational activities.
SMK Sebuyau principal Selamat Markosen, Sebuyau Sub-District Office Sarawak administrative officer Ajis Ahmad and SMK Sebuyau parent-teacher association chairman Osman Jamil were also present yesterday.