Dilapidated schools: Putrajaya failed to keep its word, says Abg Jo

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Abang Johari speaking to members of the media. — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi.


KUCHING: Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg today said Putrajaya has failed to keep its end of the contra deal to repair 1,020 dilapidated schools in the state.

He said the state government has paid RM700 million out of RM1 billion in the contra deal but until now not even one of the dilapidated schools have been fixed.

“When we (state government) paid RM700 million (contra deal) to fix our dilapidated schools, they (Putrajaya) said must follow the new way.

“But not a single (Sarawak dilapidated) school has been fixed, although money has been paid,” Abang Johari said during the opening of an Al-Quran colloquium this morning.

Later on he told reporters that Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin will be meeting Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to discuss this matter on March 12.

Abang Johari said with the next deadline to pay the contra loan in three more months, he said the state government might have to withhold the payment until an amicable agreement has been met.

“Because the RM350 mil (payment) the first tranche (in August 2019 has been paid) we expected the schools to start repair. They agreed on the tender but later they changed their mind, as explained by Manyin.

“If they can’t deliver why should we pay? I’m worried that the money would be used for something else. The money is supposed to be deposited into a consolidated fund.

“(Now) The victims are our students,” he said.

Manyin last week said the indecision by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) on appointing a project implementer had caused the delay in fixing dilapidated schools in the state.

He said work has not started even though it had been over five months since the Sarawak government paid the first tranche of RM350 million in August 2019 out of the RM1 billion contra loan payment to the federal government so that the money can be used for school repairs and upgrades in the state.

Since the state government already paid the second tranche of RM350 million to the MoF on February 7 this year, he hoped this matter could be solved as soon as possible so that the projects can finally commence.

“Work has not started at all, not even in one school. The state is very disappointed and wants all parties to honour all the earlier decisions made between the state and the federal government. We hope that JKR (Public Works Department) Sarawak can be appointed as the Implementing Agency, that all tendering will be done through the Federal Tender Board in Sarawak, and that only contractors that are based in Sarawak are awarded these jobs.

“If JKR Malaysia has to be appointed as the Implementing Agency, we hope that JKR Malaysia can give JKR Sarawak a blanket authorisation to issue letters of acceptance and to sign contract for all the rebuilding or upgrading projects under this RM 1 billion initiative. This will help to expedite the process and alleviate the long suffering that our students and teachers have endured.

“Also, fund should also be given direct to JKR Sarawak for efficient management of the fund and speedy implementation of the project,” said Manyin.

Works Minister Baru Bian last month said the first tranche of RM350 million of the RM1 billion contra loan allocated for repairs of dilapidated schools in the state would be utilised during the first half of the year.

He said the RM350 million would benefit 37 schools in the state, but did not disclose which schools.

“We expect to utilise the RM350 million first half of 2020. We have already identified the schools, 37 of them,” he said when met by The Borneo Post after chairing a joint committee meeting on federal projects in Sarawak at Wisma Bapa Malaysia in Petra Jaya here on Jan 17.

Baru added that the second tranche RM350 million of the RM1 billion contra loan would be utilised in the second half of this year while the third tranche which is the balance of RM300 million would be used in early 2021.

The RM1 billion contra loan for repairs of dilapidated schools in Sarawak is an arrangement agreed upon by the Sarawak government and federal government as a form of contra payment to the state loan of some RM2.4 billion.