Dr Yii (second right) speaking to reporters while (from left) CHMS No 1 Board Vice Chairman Tay Yu Siang, Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei and Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong (right) look on.
KUCHING: The federal government will continue to increase allocations for Chinese independent schools in Sarawak each year despite protests from the opposition, said Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii.
Dr Yii said the federal government has assured that the increase of allocation for Chinese independent schools will be certain as the national economy and finance gets better over time.
Video by Roystein Emmor
“This is consistent with the stand of the federal government where for the first time in history since we took over the government, we have allocated allocations to Chinese independent schools throughout the country.
“In 2019 RM12 million allocated for the first time in history to Chinese independent schools, and in 2020 we have increased the allocation to RM15 million throughout the whole country,” he told reporters this morning.
Dr Yii was met at CHMS No. 1, here, to visit the site of the fire that destroyed six classrooms during the wee hours on Dec 5.
He was accompanied by Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong and Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation by the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), said Dr Yii.
He also presented RM10,000 from his MP fund and RM10,000 from Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Chong Chieng Jen to the school board to start repair works to the damaged classrooms.
“In Sarawak alone there are 14 Chinese independent schools and for this CHMS No. 1, RM193,000 was allocated and the money was banked into the school account on Jan 2019.
“So next year, of course, we are looking at an increase and this is a trend that we will continue to take because we really acknowledge the importance of these schools to educate our children and also to build the future generation,” he added.
Dr Yii said while he was in parliament sittings, the move to increase allocations for the Chinese schools faced criticisms from members of the opposition, which they considered as private Chinese schools.
Even then, he said, the federal government was adamant and sincere in increasing the allocation for the schools because it recognised and acknowledged their contributions to the development of the country’s education system.
“So this (yearly increase in allocation) is a welcomed move and we were given the assurance that this trend will continue.
“As our economy gets better, as our finances get better, we will have a more structured allocations for Chinese independent schools, because we believe in this whole education ecosystem, that not just government schools but also schools such as this who play a part in building our nation and future generations,” Dr Yii added.