Dire need for funds to fix Sabah schools By Jenne Lajiun
KOTA KINABALU: Assistant Education and Innovation Minister Jenifer Lasimbang is hoping that the Federal Education Ministry will look into the plight of Sabah schools.
Speaking to The Borneo Post on the recently announced National Budget, Jenifer said that Sabah has a lot of old and dilapidated schools that needed to be fixed and restored.
She cited that she has visited some schools in the interior that were in very bad condition.
“The ones in Pensiangan, for example, made me want to cry .... the ceilings were falling down and the students living in the hostel had to sleep on very worn out mattresses with holes on them,” she said, adding that an average of 30 to 50 students stayed at the Pensiangan hostel.
And at SMK Tandek, which she visited recently, she noted that the girls had to cramp in the staff quarters where 20 girls shared a unit with one toilet.
And closer to Kota Kinabalu, SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin is also still waiting for action to restore the school’s hostel after it caught fire.
“There is still no news,” said Jenifer.
“In short, all our schools in Sabah are under resourced. That is why we have this big hope that Sabah will receive an equitable part of this budget because, as it is, we are strained with lack of resources,” she said.
She also hoped that her ministry will be given more power to manage the resources and that more decision making could be done in Sabah, so that whatever resources that are given to Sabah will be managed by her ministry.
“My ministry will also monitor all the implementation,” she said.
Jenifer also hoped that an emergency fund of RM10 million for the repair and rebuilding of schools will be provided to her ministry.
“Many of our hostels have been destroyed by fire and we are on the ground to ensure that the resources will be given to those who really need them,” she said.
She also highlighted the roles of missionary schools in providing education to the people of Sabah and Malaysia.
“The oldest schools are mission schools and they have provided education to our leaders. We should appreciate their contribution in building the state and the country,” she said.