Kinarut primary school to be expanded, upgraded
KOTA KINABALU: With the aim to provide opportunity for more children in Kinarut to obtain an education, the SJK (C) Kin Kiau school board has plans to expand the school and upgrade its facilities.
According to SJK (C) Kin Kiau school board chairman Patrick Thie, the plans are to build a new administrative building, a multipurpose hall and a new kindergarten building.
“The administrative building will cost about RM4 million, the multi-purpose hall is RM2.5 million, and the kindergarten is RM1.5 million, totalling about RM8 million. Other than doing a fund-raising dinner, we will also be applying for financial assistance from the State Government,” he said, adding that the application will be made after obtaining all the necessary approvals.
Thie said they expect to start work on the kindergarten any time soon, adding that the new kindergarten would be a twostorey building.
“Work on the primary school classrooms will start after the kindergarten is completed. However, we may start construction of both buildings if we are able to raise the necessary funds needed,” he said when met at the groundbreaking and fund-raising dinner here on Wednesday.
Thie added that the existing primary school building has to be demolished as it has been declared unsafe by the Public Works Department.
“Our target is to complete the kindergarten in 12 months. This project needs to be expedited as the kindergarten is now sharing space with the primary classes,” he said.
The new buildings, which is designed by Thie himself, will also be at least 1.2 metres higher from the ground to prevent the threat of flooding which affects the school during rainy season.
Thie said he has much love for the school as his schooling started there when he entered kindergarten in 1990.
“I completed Primary Six in 1999 and I want to give back to the school where I received my education, that is why I took up the responsibility to become chairman of the board in 2022 as I want to work towards building a better school.
“We understand that education is very important and the academic segment is very important but we also place importance on co-curriculum. We are pushing for this and are encouraging all the students to participate,” he said.
Thie pointed out that in the Kinarut population now, there are more Bumiputera than Chinese, adding, “we want to ensure that all get an education regardless of the race.”
For now, Tadika Kin Kiau has 200 pupils while SJK (C) Kin Kiau serves 400 pupils from primary one to primary six.
“With the completion of the new classrooms we will be able to increase the intake in kindergarten to 300 and 600 in the primary school. We had to reject many applications to enter the school due to lack of space but with the new classrooms, we will be able to accept more pupils.
“Those who failed to get a space are appealing but we have limitations as we only allow 30 pupils to a class and only two classes per standard per year. The new classrooms means we can add one more class of 30 pupils per standard a year. This is our aim,” he said.
In his speech earlier, Thie expressed gratitude to the State Government, which places great emphasis on the education sector and consistently provides support to schools.
The government has never neglected Chinese schools and always channels financial contributions for school maintenance to ensure a comfortable and safe learning environment, he said.
“With the assistance of the government’s school development funds, we successfully erected a four-storey school building in 2019. The cooperation and attention from local authorities and technical departments have facilitated and expedited the approval process and acquisition of qualification certificates,” he said.
Among those in attendance for the dinner were Sabah Foundation director cum Kawang assemblyman Datuk Gulam Khan Bahadar, Deputy State Assembly Speaker Datuk Richard Yong and Limbahau assemblyman Datuk Juil Nuatim.
Speaking at the fund-raising dinner, SJK (C) Kin Kiau permanent honorary chairman Datuk Susan Wong said she is proud and grateful to contribute to the development of the school.
“We deeply understand the crucial importance of education to society.
“SJK (C) Kin Kiau is not just an institution imparting knowledge; it is also where the hopes for the future of our children lie. We recognize that education is key to nurturing future leaders, and we willingly support and sponsor to contribute to the school’s development and students’ growth. After all, children are our future hope.
“I firmly believe that every child, regardless of their background, has the right to receive a good education. Therefore, I will strive to assist the board of directors in providing a diverse and enriching education to help each student unleash their full potential,” said Wong.