Chong Chieng Jen
DEMOCRATIC Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen yesterday welcomed the government’s proposal in the 2020 State Budget to set up international schools in the state, but pointed out that his party had suggested the same thing some four years earlier.
He said while he was pleased that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had adopted DAP’s proposal, he felt that it was ‘half-hearted’ as there were no details in the budget on how much was being allocated for the schools or when it would be implemented.
“Is this just paying lip service? And is this international school offering free education for everyone? When will it be implemented?” he asked during a press conference at the State Legislative Assembly Complex yesterday.
He said the chief minister should answer his questions in his winding-up speech next Wednesday.
Chong added DAP had suggested setting up Sarawak’s own international school as early as in 2015.
“This is recorded in the Hansard on Dec 8, 2015,” he said while reading out excerpts from the Hansard.
He said he had proposed that 10 per cent of the State Budget be provided for a private English-medium school, which would be licensed by the Education Ministry.
He added that the private school would use English as the medium of instruction and the institution should collect no fee from students for as long as they are Sarawakians.
Abang Johari, in his budget speech on Monday, said the Sarawak government had decided to establish international schools to improve the standard of education of the younger generation and produce quality students, especially from the B40 and M40 groups, who have the potential to pursue their studies at internationally-merited universities.
He said the schools would be located in Kuching, Samarahan, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri, and that it was proposed that they be run like private schools and incorporate Cambridge’s International General Certificate of Secondary Education.