Sabati donates RM50,000 to SMK St. Teresa School Rebuilding Fund
KUCHING: Sabati (Association of Wives of Ministers and Assistant Ministers, Sarawak) has contributed RM50,000 to the SMK St. Teresa School Rebuilding Fund.
Its president Datin Amar Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Bujang handed over the cheque to principal of SMK St. Teresa, Mary John, during a simple ceremony at the school here yesterday.
In a briefing before the cheque presentation, Mary said the school still fell short of over RM6 million to meet the total project cost of RM8.2 million.
As of yesterday, the school together with the Old Teresian Association had raised a little over RM2 million.
The RM50,000 was pledged by Sabati during the ‘Save SMK St. Teresa’s Nite’ last Jan 21 during which Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg also pledged RM500,000.
Mary said the state government had contributed a total of RM1.5 million to the school rebuilding project.
“We have already received the RM500,000 pledged by the Chief Minister on top of the RM1 million given by former Chief Minister the late Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem.”
She said the rebuilding project was divided into two phases, namely the administration and classroom block estimated at RM3.55 million and multipurpose hall block worth RM4.67 million.
The construction of the first phase is expected to commence in May this year and scheduled for completion December the same year, she disclosed.
“We have submitted our plans to the authorities. The administration and classroom block is a three- storey building comprising a library, counselling room, classrooms and science lab.
“The second phase is also a three- storey block with the hall on top. The lead consultant expects the construction to begin in August this year and to be completed by December 2018 or the latest by 2019.”
Mary said the Oct 29 fire had rendered the assembly hall block unsafe for use.
The partially destroyed block comprised an assembly hall, staff room, library, sewing room, living skills workshop, music room, counselling room, surau and toilets, she added.
According to her, the school will be able to run single sessions after the completion of the rebuilding project.
Prior to that, she said the school was left with little choice but to cut down three Form 1 classes for the next two years.
She added that students who could not make it into SMK St. Teresa would be referred to other schools including SMK Green Road and SMK St. Mary.
“We used to have about 1,200 students and now we have less than 1,000.”