KUCHING, July 11 — The Sarawak state government urged the Education Ministry to let the state Public Works Department (JKR) undertake repairs and upgrades to dilapidated schools there.
State Assistant Minister of Science, Education and Technological Research Dr Annuar Rapa’ee said the state JKR has performed very well in repairing and upgrading the dilapidated schools.
“Out of 50 dilapidated schools entrusted to the state JKR for fixing, 38 of them are on schedule, six are ahead of schedule and another six are behind schedule,” he said at the Sarawak State legislative Assembly here.
On the other hand, he said out of 66 dilapidated schools undertaken by the federal education ministry to fix, 52 of them are behind schedule, seven are on schedule and another seven are ahead of schedule.
Dr Annuar said the federal education ministry had identified 1,020 out of 1,454 schools in Sarawak or 70.2 per cent, categorised as dilapidated.
He said 415 out of 1,020 are critically dilapidated and require urgent action from the government.
He said repair works on 116 out of 415 dilapidated schools have been given out this year.
Dr Annuar said it will cost RM4 billion to RM5 billion to repair all the 1,020 schools.
He said an allocation of RM1 billion under the 11th Malaysia Plan was approved last year by the previous Barisan Nasional federal government, adding that the amount was insufficient to repair and upgrade all the dilapidated schools.
He said he is not sure if the Pakatan Harapan federal government would continue to provide allocation for fixing all these schools.
Dr Annuar was replying to questions from PBB’s state assemblyman Aidel Lariwoo (Sadong Jaya) during question time at the state assembly.
