Poser over ‘missing’ funds for schools

THE Finance Ministry has refuted suggestions that it is withholding part of the RM800 million allocation for schools under Budget 2015, saying it has been fully disbursed.

Allocations for all ministries, including the Education Ministry, have been disbursed in full, China Press quoted an unnamed Finance Ministry source as saying yesterday.

“We don’t owe anybody (ministry),” said the source.

On the question of why national-type Chinese primary and secondary schools have not received their funds as reported, the source said “it is the problem of the Education Ministry” as the Finance Ministry had already done its part.

Following reports that the RM50 million meant for Chinese primary schools had not been fully disbursed, the daily learnt that the 81 national-type Chinese secondary schools in the country had also not received any allocation this year.

The Finance Ministry source said the news was baffling to say the least.

On Monday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Wee Ka Siong said RM800 million allocated to primary schools in Budget 2015 to improve their facilities had yet to be disbursed due to a dispute between the Education and Finance Ministries.

He said although the Finance Ministry claimed it had passed the funds to the Education Ministry, the latter said it had yet to receive them.

In response, the Finance Ministry said it had already issued the warrant to the Education Ministry last December.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said he would look into the issue of some 90% of the schools from various streams not getting their funds under Budget 2015.