SIBU: Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers Union (KGBS) is hoping that the RM783 million slated for dilapidated schools, especially those in Sabah and Sarawak, could be disbursed in a speedy manner.
“KGBS is hoping that the allocation of RM783 million could be disbursed immediately to the respective state Education Departments, through the Ministry of Education, and would fulfil the target required,” said KGBS president Ahmad Malie in a statement issued yesterday.
He was commenting on the allocation for education under Budget 2020, tabled by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng in Parliament yesterday.
The Education Ministry was the largest recipient of the budget allocation at RM64.1 billion compared to RM60.2 billion outlined under Budget 2019.
In tabling the national Budget, Lim said from the amount, RM735 million would be used for the maintenance and upgrading of schools, while another RM783 million would be set aside for dilapidated schools, especially those in Sabah and Sarawak.
In this regard, Ahmad thanked the federal government as the budget had focused on education infrastructures such as upgrading of all types of schools through the distribution of allocations according to the school categories concerned, with an overall sum of RM735 million.
He said with the allocation, he had high hopes for all schools to be upgraded as well as efforts to repair dilapidated schools would become a reality – much to the delight of the school community and stakeholders.
“KGBS also thanks the government because under Budget 2020, the utility payment assistance to all schools has also increased,” he added.