THE aim to start repairing five of Sarawak’s most dilapidated schools this month will not be met, said Michael Manyin.

The state education, science and technological research minister said he was told at last week’s meeting with Education Ministry officials that works cannot begin because the Finance Ministry has yet to issue a directive on the matter.

This is despite Sarawak having kept its end of the agreement, particularly the payment of RM350 million – the first instalment of a RM1 billion loan – required to kick-start the repairs, he said.

Manyin was referring to the funds given to the Education Ministry. He also spoke about the process of calling a tender and awarding successful bidders.

The tender process will be handled by the federal tender board in Sarawak, while the state Public Works Department will supervise the repairs.

Manyin, on July 26, said both the state and federal Education Ministries had targeted to start the repairs this month.

“Looks like it’ll be a long road,” he said after opening the 28th Malaysian English Language Teachers’ Association Conference in Kuching today.

Asked about the five schools selected, he said they are all in rural areas, including “one in Belaga”, which is in the upper reaches of Sg Rajang.

The issue of funding to repair Sarawak’s rundown schools has long been a source of friction between the state government and Finance Ministry.

Nine days after Sarawak agreed to repay the RM350 million, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng accused the state of being slow in making the payment. In response, the state said Lim’s “tasteless political statement” was unnecessary.

Sarawak DAP leaders, particularly chief Chong Chieng Jen, then came out in defence of Lim, who is also the party’s secretary-general, only to be told by Manyin to “shut up” as they had no knowledge about the discussions on the issue.

“They do not know what is going on,” the state minister had said after Chong asked whether the Gabungan Parti Sarawak administration was having cash-flow problems that made it unable to “make the prompt repayment” of the RM350 million.

On August 4, Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg said the sum had been paid, but did not say when.

More than 1,000 schools in the state are deemed rundown, with some 400 listed as “critically dilapidated”. – August 13, 2019.