Ridiculous to bar GPS ministers, reps from schools, says SUPP’s Tiang

KUCHING: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Youth chief Michael Tiang has labelled the recent directive by the Education Ministry barring state ministers and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) assemblypersons from attending schools events, starting next year, as ‘ridiculous and discriminative’.

He said the ministry was applying double standard in this matter as Pakatan Harapan (PH) ministers and elected representatives were permitted to do so.

“This shows both Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik and his deputy Teo Nie Ching have no regards for Sarawak’s autonomy in education as well as Sarawakians’ sentiments,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

Tiang reminded the ministry that the Sarawak government had been contributing funds to all schools in the state, especially aided Chinese primary schools, despite the fact that education came under the Federal List.

Being a responsible government, he said it was only right for Sarawak ministers and elected representatives to visit schools in the state in order to understand their needs and challenges.

“By barring the state ministers and ADUNs (assemblypersons) from schools in Sarawak, the PH government is not only discriminating (against) the state government, it is also isolating Sarawak schools from its own state government for assistance.

“The ministry’s latest directive is purely a political decision made at the expense of the schools’ welfare and interests,” he lamented.

Tiang further pointed out that the PH government was ‘slow in responding’ when it came to the needs of rebuilding and repairing dilapidated schools in Sarawak.

The Federation of Boards of Management for Aided Chinese Primary Schools Sarawak was recently informed by the Sarawak Education Department that state ministers and elected representatives from GPS would not be allowed to attend any school event in Sarawak starting next year.