KUCHING, Nov 30: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) youth chief Michael Tiang has condemned the Ministry of Education (MoE)’s decision in banning Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) elected representatives and ministers from attending events in schools in Sarawak.
“The MoE is being ridiculous and discriminative when giving directives to bar Sarawak’s state ministers and GPS ADUNs (elected representatives) from attending any school events held in our own state of Sarawak.
“Permitting only PH (Pakatan Harapan) ministers and representatives for school events is double standard,” he said in a press statement today.
The decision, Tiang criticised demonstrated that both Minister for Education Dr Maszlee Malik and his deputy Teo Nie Ching have no regards or whatsoever for Sarawak’s autonomy in education as well as the Sarawakians’ sentiments.
“The MoE is reminded that Sarawak government has been actively contributing state funding to all schools within the state, especially Chinese Aided primary schools, although public schools are within federal’s jurisdiction and are therefore under its care,” he said.
Being a responsible state government, he pointed out that it was only right for state ministers and ADUNs to be allowed to visit schools in order to understand their needs and challenges.
“By barring state ministers and ADUNs from schools, the PH government is not only discriminating the state government, (but) it is also isolating Sarawak schools from its own state government for assistance.
“The MoE’s latest directive is purely a political decision made at the expense of the schools’ welfare and interests,” he said.
Tiang, who is a lawyer by profession, hit back that despite numerous appeals made by the Sarawak government to Putrajaya, the PH government was slow in responding to the dire needs of Sarawak’s dilapidated schools which require immediate repairs.
“It’s a shame indeed that MoE seems to be more interested in political play than discharging its ministerial duties for the benefits of the people in Sarawak,” he added.
The Federation of Boards of Management for Aided Chinese Primary Schools Sarawak has been recently informed that from next year, state ministers and GPS ADUNs will have to apply to MoE in order to attend functions or events in Sarawak schools.— DayakDaily
