KUCHING. July 26: Sarawak Reform Party (STAR) wants the Ministry of Education to upgrade dilapidated schools in rural Sarawak urgently to prevent mishaps from recurring.
Yesterday (July 25), teacher Catherine Janet Tiwi, 25, died and two of her colleagues suffered burns when fire gutted the teachers’ quarters of SK Batu Bungan in Mulu. Catherine’s charred remains were discovered after firemen doused the flames around 6.30am.
STAR president Lina Soo said the Education Ministry must act swiftly to identify the cause of the fire and put in place a proper school fire-prevention system to safeguard the lives of everyone in the school.
“Pictures of schools and hostels in dilapidated states are a common sight in Sarawak. These schools must be repaired immediately.
“STAR calls for the release of workplace health and safety information for all schools in Sarawak. Any hazard must be identified to pre-empt and prevent any occurrence of fire,” she said.
Describing the tragedy at SK Batu Bungan as a “sad day for Sarawak”, Soo conveyed her deepest condolences to Catherine’s family.
“We (STAR) shares the loss and pain of the families affected by the tragedy,” she said. — DayakDaily
