Committee hopes annual grant for Du Zhong in S’wak to gradually increase to RM10 mln

KUCHING: The Kuching Chung Hua Middle Schools No 1, 3 and 4 Management Committee hopes that the Sarawak government would continue increasing the annual grant for Chinese independent schools ( Du Zhong) in Sarawak up to RM10 million.

Committee chairman Dato Richard Wee said they would look forward to Sarawak government – under the leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg – gradually increasing the annual grant.

However, he said based on the understanding between the committee and the chief minister, the Sarawak government would continue to allocate RM7 million every year.

“This is because he (Abang Johari) would give us the land and until we can make use of that land to generate some incomes, he would continue to give the RM7 million,” he said in a phone interview yesterday.

Nevertheless, Wee was hoping that the administration, under Abang Johari, would consider increasing the annual grant.

On the land to be alienated, Wee said a piece had been identified in Miri.

“But we leave it to the (Sarawak) government; we are following up on technical details,” he said, but quickly added that the entire process would take time.

The Sarawak government first granted the annual allocation for Du Zhong in Sarawak in 2014, with RM3 million.

This policy was implemented by Abang Johari’s predecessor, Pehin Sri Adenan Satem, who had pledged to increase the amount by RM1 million every year – last year, the amount reached RM7 million.

Adenan, Sarawak’s fifth chief minister, passed away on Jan 11, 2017.