Union welcomes proposed financial package for dilapidated schools

KUCHING: Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers’ Union (KGBS) welcomes the financial package proposal announced by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamid to speed up the reconstruction and upgrading of dilapidated schools in Sarawak.

Its president Ahmad Malie, said that the problem of dilapidated schools in Sarawak has many times been raised at the Ministry of Education (MOE) level but the action to overcome the problem has been quite slow.

As such, he believed a financial package to be submitted by the federal government and the state government is the best way to solve the problem but he stressed that such proposal and move must come with a timeline.

“The problems affecting Sarawak schools have been going on for so long, and the action so far (from the authorities) have been slow even though special allocation to improve the dilapidated schools has been approved during the tabling of the (federal) budget.

“Hence, KGBS urges the authorities to make sure that appropriate steps and actions are taken, so that the announcements and pledges can be realised,” he said yesterday.

He suggested for a timeline to be given on any promises and announcement so that these can be really implemented and achieve their objectives.

“Otherwise, the promises and announcement stay as promises and announcements, and the people would be left waiting. It is time for every promises and announcements with regards to dilapidated schools to be realised as soon as possible for the benefit and welfare of all parties especially our young generation,” he said.

Zahid, when visiting Sibu on Thursday, said the federal government would continue to put the rebuilding of dilapidated schools in Sarawak on its major agenda for the country.

He had said one of the approaches is for the federal government and the state government to submit a financial package proposal for speeding up the reconstruction and upgrading of the schools.