SARAWAK is allocating a contingency amount of RM81.7 million in its 2019 state budget for the rebuilding, repair, and upgrading of dilapidated schools in the state if no federal funding is forthcoming.

The allocation will include water and electricity supplies, Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg said when tabling the state’s budget for next year.

Calling on the new Pakatan Harapan federal government to fulfill its obligation to repair the state’s 1,020 dilapidated school, 415 of which are critically dilapidated, he said that the 2018 national budget had approved a RM1 billion special allocation for the repair and upgrading of these dilapidated schools.

“The new federal government ought to fulfill this obligation by providing the funding as approved.”

He said the RM1 billion was hardly sufficient even then.

It was estimated the cost of the repairs and upgrading could be in the region of RM4 billion.

“We need much more than RM1 billion. Unfortunately, the 2019 national budget did not indicate any allocation for dilapidated schools in Sarawak.

“It is disheartening to see that our children have long been suffering from such poor conditions and are forced to study in inferior learning environments,” he said.

Abang Johari said the state will continue taking over the federal government’s responsibility for the repairs of the schools.

“Sarawak will continue to do so next year using its state funds.”

The chief minister also called on Putrajaya to fulfill all the promises Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had made when tabling the mid-term review of the 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020) in Parliament recently.

Dr Mahathir said to accelerate development in Sarawak and Sabah, the federal government would intensify economic growth and development planning; improve infrastructure for better connectivity, expand access to basic infrastructure, amenities and services, increase employment opportunity, and enhance the development of customary land.

“Sarawak has contributed significantly to national economic growth as well as to the federal government coffers in terms of collection of taxes and revenue from oil and gas,” Abang Johari said.

“It is only fair that the federal government provide a more equitable allocation to Sarawak, particularly for development purposes.

“This is imperative so that all Sarawakians can enjoy the same quality of life as our counterparts and the state can narrow its development gap with that of peninsular Malaysia.” – November 5, 2018.