12Mil Boost for Sabah School

The Federal Government has allocated RM112 million for 429 government schools, Mission schools, Chinese national-type schools (SJKC) and government-aided religious schools in Sabah under its special stimulus package for schools this year. Most of this or RM95.9m goes to 283 government schools, while RM10.8m are for 70 national-type Chinese schools, RM3.7m for 74 Mission schools and for two government-aided religious schools, RM1.5m.

This is part of the RM900m allocated for schools nationwide under the said stimulus package meant to provide assistance in building, upgrading and maintaining the schools concerned. Of the figure, RM500m is provided for government schools, both primary and secondary, while the Chinese national-type schools, Tamil national-type schools, Mission schools and government-aided religious schools each received RM100m.

The work scope for projects under this year's special package include building structure repairing, repainting, rooftop repairing, rewiring and replacement or upgrading of old building blocks. Presenting the allocation for Mission schools in Sabah in a ceremony held at SM Lok Yuk in Likas here, Tuesday, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the assistance showed that the Barisan Nasional (BN) Government really cares and is committed to school development, including Mission schools in Sabah.

"On behalf of the State Government, I wish to thank the Federal Government for this contribution and hope the schools concerned would make full use of the assistance accordingly," he said. Earlier in his speech, he said the Government's priority under the special stimulus package for schools is to repair those categorised as badly damaged, adding the government would also make sure that projects involving upgrading of these schools, particularly those really in need of attention based on the physical audit report, would get sufficient funding.

He said although the allocation provided for government schools are bigger than the other school categories, it does not mean the Education Ministry is abandoning the other government-aided schools. "The Government is actually very committed in assisting all the schools and never sidelines any from the national education mainstream. Apart from development allocation, the government-aided schools also receive other forms of assistance similar to what is provided to the government schools, which include teaching manpower, textbooks as well as per capita grant," he said.

Sources: Daily Express