SEREMBAN, Nov 2 — The Ministry of Education has allocated RM3.26 million for minor maintenance works at to 46  national-type Chinese schools (SJKC) in Negri Sembilan, said Deputy Education Minister  Datuk Chong Sin Woon today.

He said Negri Sembilan was the first state to receive the allocation under the Special Fund for School Upgrading and Maintenance this year.

"This is an initiative by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak where RM50 million each is allocated to SJKC, SJKT (national-type Tamil schools), missionary schools, boarding schools, MARA Junior Science College (MRSM) and government-aided religious schools.

"For national schools (SK), RM250 million is allocated under this special provision. From 2012 to 2017, 46 SJKCs in Negri Sembilan have received this assistance and more than RM19 million has been spent to repair and maintain the schools,” he said in his speech at the presentation of the allocation for Negri Sembilan at Wisma Negeri here today.

Also present was Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

Meanwhile, Mohamad in his speech said the largest allocation given to education as announced by Najib when tabling the 2018 Budget proved the government’s commitment towards empowering the sector.

At a press conference later, Mohamad expressed his gratitude to the prime minister for setting up the special fund.

"Even in the days of the earlier prime minister, there was no provision of this magnitude. Last time, the allocation was RM10 million but it had to be shared with all schools, but under the leadership of Datuk Seri Najib, the allocation is getting bigger with education given priority by the prime minister,” he said.

In 2018 Budget, the government allocated RM550 million for the Special Fund for School Upgrading and Maintenance which encompassed SK (RM250 million), SJKC (RM50 million), SJKT (RM50 million), missionary schools (RM50 million), boarding schools (RM50 million), MARA Junior Science Colleges (RM50 million) and government-aided religious schools (RM50 million). — Bernama