Dr Sim (centre) hands over the education fund to a representative from SK Rantau Panjang Batu Kawa.
KUCHING (June 22): More than RM9.2 million in education funds have been allocated to various schools in the Batu Kawah constituency by Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian since 2016 under the principle of common development of diversified education.
According to a press statement, the beneficiary schools included Chinese national-type primary schools (SJKC), Chinese independent middle schools as well as government primary (SRK) and secondary (SMK) schools.
With schools now back to pre-pandemic routine, Dr Sim, who is Batu Kawah assemblyman, has started visiting schools under his constituency since last week where he handed over the first half-year’s education fund to the respective schools’ management for the purpose of purchasing required teaching materials and funding for schools’ events.
In addition to caring for the overall development of the schools, the Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister said he was also aware of the issues faced by certain schools.
He said the Sarawak government valued the development of all vernacular schools here.
He pointed out that besides the annual funding to Chinese independent middle schools, the government also allocates funds for Chinese education.
“This year, as much as RM10 million have been allocated to Chinese independent middle schools and RM12 million for Chinese education.
“This is the only government to allocate such funding in Malaysia,” said Dr Sim.
Since he was elected as Batu Kawah assemblyman in 2016, Dr Sim has been consistently allocating education funds to schools under his constituency twice a year.
He will also allocate additional funding to schools which are in need of upgrading their infrastructure.
The funds are from the government’s allocation to elected representatives, special allocation from the Prime Minister, special allocation from the Sarawak Premier, federal government’s funding, constituency’s development fund as well as special allocation from the Sarawak government.