Gerawat slams PKR for making ‘misleading, mischievous’ statement
MIRI: Mulu assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala has slammed the allegation by PKR Baram about the prolonged neglect of a primary school in Tutoh, saying that it is ‘misleading and mischievous’.
According to a report published on The Borneo Post on March 20 this year, Dennis Along of PKR alleged that SK Temenggong Baya Malang in Long Terawan Tutoh had been neglected for years and the school block had not been maintained or repaired.
He also gave pictures of a rotten and broken staircase, ceiling of the school building and platform for the water tank.
Gerawat, who is Deputy Speaker of State Legislative Assembly ( DUN), claimed that what Dennis referred to was a disused old classroom of the school that was supposed to have been demolished following the construction of a new classroom block in 2012.
He said the Marudi District Education Office had requested the parent-teacher association ( PTA) of the school to demolish the ground floor of the old classroom block as it was not used anymore and because the ground floor was always affected by flood.
However, the PTA only demolished part of the ground floor and left one room to be used for the ‘ Rancangan Makanan Tambahan – a supplementary food programme.
“The statement by Dennis Along is misleading and mischievous because he was only focusing on the ground floor of the old classroom block, which is not used anymore as it has been replaced by a brand new classroom block, built in 2012 by the Education Department costing RM175,000,” he told The Borneo Post.
The new block has six classrooms – more than enough to accommodate the existing 18 students, he added.
The statement by Dennis Along is misleading and mischievous because he was only focusing on the ground floor of the old classroom block, which is not used anymore as it has been replaced by a brand new classroom block, built in 2012 by the Education Department costing RM175,000 Datuk Gerawat Gala, Mulu assemblyman
In addition to building the new block, he said the Education Department had also repaired and upgraded the teachers quarters – the works of which included those on electrical wiring – in 2015 at a cost of RM110,000.
Last year, the electrical wiring for the academic block was also upgraded at a cost of RM35,000 while an additional RM30,000 was allocated by the Education Department for purchase of materials meant for repair works on the academic block and teachers quarters, to be done by the PTA on ‘gotong-royong’ (work party) basis, he added.
On the school water tank, Gerawat said the Education Department is getting quotations for building a new concrete structure for it, to replace the current wooden structure which is ageing.
Gerawat stressed that the government is fully aware that many of the schools in the state are in dilapidated condition and in need of repairs or rebuilding; hence, the RM1- billion allocation for this purpose.
He said it would take time as there are many schools that need to be repaired or rebuilt.