KUCHING: The state and federal governments have come to a consensus in resolving the dispute over delays in repair works on dilapidated schools in Sarawak.
“Nobody to be blamed,” said Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Datuk Seri Michael Manyin Jawong.
He added as the matter had been dealt with, the state government was eager to move forward and avoid blaming any quarters over the issue. Manyin also disclosed that the two governments had cooperated closely in addressing the matter and he had good words for Minister of Education Maszlee Malik and officials of both the Finance Ministry and Education Ministry.
“Since PH (Pakatan Harapan) took over and since Maszlee Malik became the minister, I have met him four or five times. In other words, our relationship with the Education Ministry is excellent,” he told a media conference after chairing a meeting on the Worldskills Malaysia Sarawak competition at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) yesterday.
Manyin reiterated that the state government had previously offered to lend RM1 billion to Putrajaya to kick-start repair works on dilapidated schools in Sarawak.
Following the payment of the first tranche of RM350 million recently, 37 dilapidated schools will undergo repair this year and contracts for the first batch of the repair works will be awarded in Oct. Manyin said the first school to be upgraded is SK Sungai Tisang
in Bintulu, with Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg scheduled to officiate at its groundbreaking ceremony on Sept 11.
The upgrade would involve replacement of a two-storey block with a four-storey building, he said, adding that repair works on another five schools would commence once contracts have been awarded.
