KUCHING, Aug 26 — Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii today said he that he will discuss with the relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Education, ways to expedite repairs on dilapidated schools in Sarawak.

He said the matter should be given priority for the interest of the students and good of the community.

“But while we push for it to be expedited, it is also important that a proper mechanism and transparent selection and monitoring are in place first to prevent any risk of corruption or abuse which will then cause more wastage of our public funds.

“So I do welcome the assurance given by the state and federal governments that they will work together to resolve this long-standing dilapidated schools issue,” he said. 

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Dr Yii was responding to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg’s statement yesterday that he was waiting for Putrajaya to start fixing these schools after the state government had paid the first package of RM350 million out of RM1 billion to the federal government.

The RM1 billion was to be used exclusively to fix rundown schools in Sarawak.

Dr Yii accused Abang Johari of deliberately putting politics before education matters by blaming the federal government for the delay in repairs.

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He said the chief minister is well aware of the mechanisms as agreed upon between the state and federal government for carrying out the repairs.

He said one of which is that the repairs should be offered by open tender to ensure transparency and fair value based on the current federal government’s financial arrangements.

Dr Yii said based on public statements, the state government had paid RM350 million an August 4. 

He said the state government expects all proper procedures including a proper open tender process and transparent selection process, among others, to be done within three weeks.

“Under the new federal government, there are proper procedures that have to be done and adhered to before any contract is awarded. This is the same whatever the amount, including the use of my own constituency funds,” he said.

Dr Yii said the issue of dilapidated schools is a chronic and inherited one and did not occur only when the new government took over.

“So attempts to shift blame to the new government by the present state leaders in my view is hypocritical as they were part of the administration that allowed this rot to happen,” he said.