RM334m for Chinese schools, churches, temples since 2004
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah State Government has allocated RM333.99 million to Chinese schools and nonIslamic religious bodies from 2004 to 2017.
Minister of Special Tasks Datuk Seri Panglima Teo Chee Kang said the State Government had allocated RM188,542,180 to non-Islamic religious bodies and RM145,448,019 to Chinese schools for the past 14 years, which amounted to RM333,990,199.
Every year, the allocation benefits nine Chinese independent secondary schools, 83 Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC), eight conforming schools, 62 primary and secondary mission schools and 112 kindergartens in Sabah.
In 2017, a total of 135 churches, 122 Chinese temples, eight Hindu and Sikh temples received the State Government’s allocation for non-Islamic religious bodies.
Teo, who chairs the State Government’s Annual Allocation for Chinese Schools and Non-Islamic Religious Bodies Committee, said Sabah was the first state in Malaysia which allocated annual funding to Chinese schools and nonIslamic religious bodies during the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Government era in the 1980s.
“In 1994, the Barisan Nasional (BN) Government took over the State Government and continued this policy till the present day.
“In the past, the State Government only set aside around RM2 million to RM3 million each year for the purpose.
“Today, the annual budget has increased to RM20 million for non-Islamic religious bodies and RM12 million for Chinese schools,” Teo said in an interview here yesterday.
He said the annual allocation was the most direct measure to financially support the schools and religious bodies.
Taking Sarawak for instance, Teo said “our neighbouring state has begun allocating RM3 million in total to the Chinese independent secondary schools in Sarawak under the leadership of its late Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem back in 2014”. The allocation had been increasing by RM1 million each year, he added.
However, he said Chinese primary schools, Chinese kindergartens and mission schools were not included in the allocation provided by the Sarawak state government.
He said there was also a proposal for the Sarawak state government to allocate a piece of land to the Sarawak United Association of Private Chinese Secondary Schools Management Board for the association to generate revenue for the schools.
“But to my understanding, the land is located in a remote, hilly area which is unfeasible for development or plantation.”
Teo said the association later requested the Sarawak state government to approve another piece of land nearer to the city centre instead, but no concrete decision had been made to date.
“Hence, I think the annual allocation by the Sabah State Government is the most direct measure to assist Chinese schools and non-Islamic religious bodies.
“Every year, our State Government presents the funds to the Board of Directors, who then utilized the allocation for the development and maintenance of their respective schools.”
As the minister who oversees the State Government’s allocation to Chinese schools and non-Islamic religious bodies, Teo said he had visited schools, temples and churches all over Sabah.
“I am heartened to see that the development in these schools and places of worship.”
In fact, Teo found that Chinese vernacular primary schools, independent secondary schools, mission schools and conforming schools fared better in the maintenance of the facilities compared to government schools.
“It shows the State Government’s annual allocation, under the wise management of the Board of Directors of the schools, has achieved the desired effect.
“The allocation allows students to learn in a more comfortable and conducive environment.”
On another note, Teo said the State Government had set aside a budget of RM32 million for the annual allocation next year.
Asked whether there were plans to increase the budget, he said this depended on the financial situation of the State Government.
“With the rising cost of goods, the cost of construction and maintenance is bound to increase correspondingly.
“So there is a need to revise the budget for the annual allocation.”
Teo also thanked his committee members, namely Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Edward Yong Oui Fah, Assistant Finance Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Michael Asang, Assistant Education Director of Sabah, Tham Yun Fook, the Association of Sabah National Type Chinese School Management Committee president Ben Lim Kiat Kong and Sabah Chinese Primary School Working Committee president Datuk William Chu for providing information and making out time for the meetings.
He said the committee held around seven meetings every year to evaluate each application submitted by the schools and religious bodies.
“We have meetings to evaluate each and every application. It is a very timeconsuming process.”
Teo has been in charge of the State Government’s allocation for Chinese schools and non-Islamic religious bodies since 2013.