LUNDU: The Sarawak government has demanded that Putrajaya expedite repair of dilapidated schools in the state.
The state has remitted RM350 million of its RM1 billion debt to the federal government last month as demanded by the Finance Ministry which undertook to use that money to finance the repair of the dilapidated schools.
“However, till now, no repair work on the dilapidated schools in Sarawak has been
implemented.
“When asked, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s answer was that a committee needed to be established first. Pembulak (liar),” the chief minister said during the town hall session ‘Berambeh Ngan Abang Jo’ at the Lundu Community Hall yesterday.
Some 1,020 schools throughout Sarawak are categorised as dilapidated, and of that figure 415 schools were categorised as “very” dilapidated.
Abang Johari said indeed Sarawak owes the federal government, but that borrowing is the state’s right in the Constitution.
He said the federal government is obligated to provide grants and loans to states within the federation.
“The federal government must grant grants and loans to the state, (which is) within the law,” he said, adding that the repayment of the loans obtained had always been made on a monthly basis as scheduled.
On another development, Abang Johari approved an allocation worth RM5 million for establishing agricultural produce collection centre in Lundu, to facilitate marketing of farm produce.
During the event, he announced an increase of housing scheme through Mutiara Mortgage and Finance from RM50 million to RM100 million to provide loans to Sarawakians.
He also went on and announced that assistance will be given to fishermen in Lundu to ease their burdens, especially during the monsoon season.
Among those present were Santubong MP Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, Petra Jaya MP Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Tanjung Datu assemblywoman Datuk Amar Jamilah Anu and Tupong assemblyman Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman.
