Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong
KUCHING: Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong says the suit filed by Jepak Holdings against the Education Ministry for wrongful termination of contract over the solar hybrid project, is of no concern to the Sarawak government.
He said this during a press conference yesterday when asked if the solar hybrid installation for rural schools project had been scrapped and that a case had been filed against the Education Ministry over the project.
“I have read in the paper over the matter (court case involving the) contractor and the (federal) Ministry of Education has nothing to do with us (state),” he said.
However, he disclosed that 31 contractors were appointed to implement the project between 2014 and 2016, but in 2017, only one contractor was handling the project involving a total cost of RM1.29 billion.
Manyin added that 371 schools were not connected to the main grid for electricity supply.
Out of the total, 128 schools had been identified to get 24-hour electricity supply from the main electricity grid and Manyin had submitted a proposal to implement the project.
“I submitted a cabinet paper last year asking for RM50 million and the state cabinet had approved it,” he said.
Manyin, who is also Tebedu assemblyman, told reporters that RM9 million was approved by the Sarawak government last year to supply treated water to 41 rural schools.
“At the moment, these schools depend on the rain, river or tube wells built by Geoscience agency,” he said.