MIRI, August 24: Miri Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Michael Teo said he would try to convince Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik not to turn Institute of Teacher Education (IPG) Miri into a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centre.
“We will arrange for a meeting (with the PM and Education Minister) this October to discuss this matter. Hopefully, we can change this government policy, which was made by the previous federal government,” said Dr Teo at IPG Miri’s dinner at a hotel here on Thursday.
Roughly 100 IPG Miri alumni attended the gathering, including Sibuti MP Lukanisman Awang Sauni, IPG Miri director Ngumbang Pura and Sarawak Cuepacs chairman Ahmad Malie.
IPG Miri is among nine IPGs across the country to be turned into TVET centres.
“We still have time to prepare ourselves. Please don’t give up yet. If they (government) can change the policy for Kelantan and Kedah, I hope they can do the same thing for Sarawak, and I hope I can bring good news by the end of this year” said Dr Teo, adding that IPG Miri was only slated to be closed in 2020.
Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had announced in Budget 2017 that IPG Rajang and IPG Samarahan would be closed too.
Meanwhile, Lukanisman said as IPG Miri was in his constituency, he “wished to see this institute to be retained”. At the dinner, he pledged an allocation of RM10,000 to IPG Miri recreation club. — DayakDaily
