KUCHING, Sept 10: The Land and Survey Department has released a Letter of Offer on roughly 320 acres of mixed land in Miri for Chinese Independent Schools in Sarawak, revealed Management of Kuching Chung Hua Middle School No. 1, 3 and 4 Committee chairman Datuk Richard Wee.
This piece of land is to replace the one alienated earlier for the same purpose. That earlier offer was deemed too far in the interior to be of much use.
“We are of course very thankful to the state government for the Letter of Offer for the land that can generate income for Chinese Independent schools in Sarawak,” Wee told DayakDaily here today.
Additionally, Wee said he was also thankful to the Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg for allocating RM7 million as an annual grant to Chinese schools beginning this year.
“We have received an understanding from the chief minister that such special assistance will continue to be given until we are able to have our own land and generate revenue from it,” he disclosed.
On a related issue, Wee said the 14 Chinese secondary schools in Sarawak would need between RM10 million and RM12 million a year to operate.
“We still have to look for the remaining amount to run these schools, but with this allocation (RM7 million), we are very much relieved,” he said, adding that five of these schools are in Kuching, five in Sibu, two in Miri and one each in Bintulu and Sarikei.
He reiterated that even though these schools were considered private schools, they could not charge students like other private schools as the main reason to set up these schools were to provide education and not to make money.
Meanwhile, Wee hoped that the federal government would assist the more than 200 Chinese primary schools in Sarawak to repair their dilapidated infrastructure.
“I’m very disappointed if issues such as education, healthcare, utilities and infrastructure are politicised because these are basic things in life. So, I do hope that the PH (Pakatan Harapan) federal government will assist us to repair our dilapidated schools in Sarawak as promised in their manifesto,” he said.
Wee said it was crucial for the PH federal government to fulfill its election manifesto in due time as they had been mandated by the majority of Malaysians to run the country. — DayakDaily
