TWENTY-ONE off-grid Chinese and mission schools in rural Sarawak could be without power if the Education Ministry fails to address a disruption of diesel supply for their generators.

State Education Minister Michael Manyin said some 1,500 pupils and teachers in would be affected in a recurring problem faced by Sarawak rural schools.

Manyin told reporters at the end of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) supreme council meeting in Kuching today, that the company awarded the contract to supply schools in the state with diesel to power their generators had informed the state Education Department last month it would stop doing so at the 21 schools from April 1.

Manyin said he is unaware why the company chose those schools from the 369 it had been contracted to supply.

Manyin said he had raised the issue with Education Minister Maszlee Malik yesterday and he is optimistic Maszlee would find a solution.

The supply contract was awarded to Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd by the previous Barisan Nasional administration in 2017.

The three-year contract, valued at RM1.32 billion, was also to maintain the generator sets of 369 schools in Sarawak.

Jepak Holdings is also the company alleged by whistleblower site Sarawak Report as the one at the centre of a dubious solar energy contract awarded by former prime minister Najib Razak.

Manyin, is his report to the state assembly last year, confirmed the contract for the design and construction of a “solar hybrid system”.

Najib was accused of abusing his powers to authorise the Education Ministry to ignore rules on tendering and price negotiation in awarding the project.

Najib’s wife, Rosman Mansor, had been charged with soliciting RM187.5 million and receiving RM1.5 million for project.

She has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

Manyin in July last year also disclosed that the state government had in 2017 submitted a proposal to the Education Ministry for some113 schools that are within 10km of the electricity grid to be connected.

The estimated cost then was RM50 million.

Manyin had said the state made the proposal as they felt the solar hybrid system would not be a solution for these schools to enjoy 24 hours of electricity.

The Education Ministry had till today yet to respond to the proposal. – February 16, 2019.