SMK Pending to repair football field

KUCHING: Students of SMK Pending will soon be able to play football after its waterlogged football field is given a new breath of life.

Upgrading works on the field will be made possible, thanks to the RM95,000- allocation from Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong and Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii.

According to Yong, the football field has been in bad shape for years, leaving students with no opportunity to play the game.

“The field has always been flooded because of serious water retention problem. That’s how serious and critical the condition is.

“We are thus allocating RM95,000 from our constituency funds to help SMK Pending repair the football field,” she told a press conference at the school yesterday.

She added that a portion from the allocation would be used to tar-seal the pathway leading to the field.

Meanwhile, Dr Yii said education was one of his priorities, and hoped to be able to provide a more conducive environment for the students through the allocation.

“This issue we are facing is due to the neglect and lack of resources from the previous government. That is why we, as Pakatan Harapan ( PH) elected representatives, are taking the effort to visit schools under our constituency and see for ourselves and obtain feedback from principals, headmasters, teachers, and parent-teacher associations. We are not only providing a conducive environment for the students but the staff as well.

“If the staff’s needs are met, they can provide better educational experience to the students.”

He also said PH Sarawak would be continuing to channel funds to schools next year.

“The majority of my constituency funds go towards the different schools in Sarawak, be it government, Chinese-medium schools or even pre-schools.

“We believe in every form of education to empower our young for the future.”

Dr Yii and Yong later handed over the RM95,000- allocation to the school principal Yong Ing Thung and its PTA secretary Hamzan Mohd Zain. The school’s co- curriculum senior assistant Jisin Nyud was also present.

Ing Thung thanked the elected representatives for the allocation, the biggest the school has ever received from them.

“I believe that students should not only study but also need to do extra curricular activities to express themselves and showcase their skills.

Dr Yii (second left) and Yong (third right) present cheques to Ing Thung (second right) and Hamzan (third left), while Jisin (left) and Dr Yii’s special assistant Leslie Ting Xiang Tzi look on.