No sign of school repair works!
KUCHING: None of the dilapidated schools in Sarawak has been fixed to date although RM700 million had been paid to settle the RM1 billion that the state owed the federal government.
Understandably, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg is very disappointed.
He said the first tranche of RM350 million was made in August last year and the second tranche of RM350 million was made this month, but work on the schools has yet to commence.
“Money has been paid, but not a single school has been repaired,” he said in his opening speech during ‘Keagungan Al-Quran’ colloquium at Sarawak Islamic Complex yesterday.
According to him, the Federal government would not allow the state Public Works Department to be in-charge of the management and implementation of the school projects.
“Yes, we fulfilled our end of the bargain, but the federal government has yet to keep its promise. Keep in mind that the federal government is responsible for the schools,” he said.
When asked by reporters about the next step for the state government if the federal government failed to keep its promise, he said Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Datuk Seri Michael Manyin would meet Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is also acting Education Minister, on March 12 to further discuss the matter.
“When we settled the first payment of RM350 million, we expected some schools to be restored or rebuilt. They agreed to the mode of construction including the tender process. But later they changed their minds. This has been explained by Manyin,” he said.
On whether the state government would delay the next payment, he said the possibility was there and would be considered “if they don’t keep their promise”.
“I fear that the money might be used somewhere else because the money was supposed to be deposited into a consolidated fund,” he said.
Abang Johari said what he worried about the most was at the end of the day, students would be the victims.
