By William Isau
SIBU, Oct 16: Whoever becomes the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lanang parliamentary seat post-GE15 (15th General Election) must follow up on the proposed SMK Dudong project listed under Budget 2023, says Wong Ching Yong.
“Though Budget 2023 has been tabled on Oct 7, it has not been approved by the Dewan Rakyat. Therefore, I hope whoever becomes the Lanang MP will follow up on the project because we are nearly there,” said the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Dudong chief at a press conference today.
Wong, who is also a potential candidate for the seat in GE15, said after so many requests had been put forward for the project, their efforts should not be wasted.
More so when the project is a much-needed one given the increasing population of Sibujaya at almost 40,000 currently, he said.
“In 2010, when Datuk Dr Soon Choon Teck was the Dudong assemblyman, he requested the Federal Government to build SK Dudong and SMK Dudong.
“But the two projects were not implemented under the 10th and 11th Malaysia Plan. So when I became SUPP Dudong chairman and Sibu Rural District Council deputy chairman, I went to see the Premier (Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari) and Deputy Premier (Dato Sri) Dr Sim (Kui Hian) and also wrote to the permanent secretary of the State Education Ministry and Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon,” he said.
Finance Minister Senator Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, in tabling the Budget 2023 in Parliament, said SMK Dudong is among the five new schools that will be constructed at the cost of RM430 million.
The others are SMK Nabalu in Sabah, SK Paya Dusun in Terengganu, SK Cyberjaya 2, and SMK Denai Alam in Selangor. — DayakDaily
