Education Department top brass to visit SMK Ulu Balingian to address water supply problem

SIBU: Deputy director- general of special project Coordination Sector Datuk Zolkopli Dahalan from the Implementation Coordination Unit ( ICU) under the Prime Minister’s Department will lead a team to visit SMK Ulu Balingian to address its water supply problem.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun said the team will visit the school on March 27.

“They will estimate the cost to solve the water supply problem.

“In fact, as soon as we came back from the visit (to SMK Ulu Balingian) last Saturday and upon reaching my office in Kuala Lumpur – we coordinated with ICU in particular, to have a look at the problem,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.

Entulu, who is Selangau MP, was responding to media reports on SMK Ulu Balingian’s water woes highlighted by Sarawak Consumers Protection Association president Dato Sri Law Ying Mee on Tuesday.

Law had claimed that the school had faced water problems for three years.

He added that the tap would run dry once a week or once fortnightly but the problem had worsened since last November

Law further claimed the problem stemmed from the breakdown of the water pump which had not been repaired due to insufficient funds.

“There is a proper system to manage a secondary school, where you have a principal, District Education office ( PPD) and of course, the Education Department.

“There is no reason why a school like SMK Ulu Balingian’s water supply problem was left unsolved for so many years. It should not have involved the people’s elected representatives because the system of reporting is very solid and systematic,” Entulu said.

The minister said he could not accept any excuse for the problem to remain unsolved for so long.

He recalled handing over RM10,000 to SMK Ulu Balingian was recently and he told the school to use the allocation for the most urgent need.

Entulu pointed out: “If that is not sufficient then, they should have told me the exact amount – how much is necessary to top up that sum of RM10,000.”

The 20-year- old SMK Ulu Balingian is located along the Pan-Borneo Highway.

Meanwhile, Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Datuk Fatimah Abdullah reportedly said the Education Department was aware of the water supply problem at SMK Ulu Balingian, near here.

She had said such cases would usually involve immediate measures once notification was received.