By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, Jan 22: Newly appointed Yayasan Sarawak board of trustees member Dato Richard Wee hopes to bridge the institution with Chinese schools in the State.
Wee, who is also the Kuching Chung Hua Middle School (CHMS) No. 1, 3 and 4’s Board of Management Committee chairman, said his appointment to Yayasan Sarawak’s board of trustees would allow him to relay information on the status of the Chinese schools.
“This would allow the Yayasan Sarawak to understand the Chinese schools better.
“I also would like to learn and understand how the (Yayasan Sarawak) scholarships are being evaluated, and we hope to try to achieve a more transparent and balanced (approach) for the allocation of the scholarship,” he told reporters during his Chinese New Year open house at his residence here today.
However, he informed the media that his induction into Yayasan Sarawak is not yet official as he has yet to receive the letter of appointment.
“It all started before Christmas last year when Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki called me and said that the Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and the Sarawak government wanted to appoint me.
“He (Abu Bakar) asked, ‘Do you accept?’ and I said, ‘it was an honour,’ so, of course, I accept lah (sic).
“But I still do not know what things are inside there (Yayasan Sarawak). So I still have to try to get into the first meeting,” he explained.
At the same time, Wee, who is also the Sarawak Federation of Chinese Associations (SFCA) president, hopes that there will be “less quarrel” among the Chinese leaders as Sarawak ushers into the new year.
“I want people to have a more positive engagement. Whether government or Opposition, if somebody has done something good, please give credit where credit is due. Don’t always criticise people; we hope to have a new and peaceful (relationship).
“Although we all expect the following year to be economically challenging, I think the Sarawak government is doing quite (good) to hopefully try to dampen the impact.
“I do hope that next year we can have no more Covid-19, no more problems, but still be careful. Don’t lompat-lompat (party-hop) again,” he emphasised. — DayakDaily
