SARAWAK Education Minister Michael Manyin said the opposition, particularly Pakatan Harapan (PH) state chief Chong Chieng Jen, should just shut up and not broach on subjects they have no knowledge about.

“They do not know what is going on,” Manyin said after Chong on Thursday asked if the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government was having cash flow problems that it could not make the first payment of RM350 million of the RM1 billion debt to the federal government to facilitate the repair of dilapidated schools in the state.

Sarawak had offered to make the out of schedule repayment so cash-strapped Putrajaya could use the money to repair the 1,020 dilapidated schools in the state.

Over 400 schools are said to be in a very run down condition, with half of that number considered critically dilapidated.

Manyin said a meeting among officials from state and federal education ministries and the Finance Ministry last week had resolved many administrative issues to kick-start the repair of five schools next month.

Manyin also urged Chong to stop playing the blame game and politicising the schools repair issue.

Chong had claimed Sarawak has more than 1,000 dilapidated schools due to “the gross negligence and failure of duty of 56 years” of the GPS government.

“It is only after PH took over the federal government last year that the GPS started making intense demand for a quick solution to the problem, demanding the PH government to resolve the 56-year old problem within one or two years,” Chong said.

However, Manyin reminded Chong that the Sarawak government, even when it was still in the BN coalition when it was still in power, had already brought up the issue of dilapidated schools with Putrajaya.

“We had always trusted the federal government to be responsible and make the repairs.

“Schools (and education) are under the federal list. That’s their sole responsibility.

“We have put a lot of trust in the federal government, whether it’s BN or PH.”

Manyin said after the state decided to establish its own ministry of education in 2017 “after Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg sensed something was not proper,” an audit of schools in the state was ordered.

He said it was after this audit that “we found out there are a lot of dilapidated schools”.

Manyin told Chong that the BN government had then allocated RM1 billion – RM500 million in 2018 and another RM500 million this year – for the repair of the schools.

“What did the new PH government do? They did not even honour that allocation.”

Manyin also said Chong should not talk about the subject of school repairs until he has made good of his election promises to the state.

“What did you say before the election and in the state legislative assembly?

“Didn’t you say Sarawak doesn’t need to beg once the PH forms the (federal) government, we will give you 50% of all federal taxes collected in the state, 20% in oil royalty and 100% autonomy on education and health?

“You have reneged on your promises.”

Manyin said until these promises are fulfilled, it was better for Chong not to talk about them.

“Keep your promises 100% first.”

Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office Abdullah Saidol said he felt “nauseous” after reading Chong’s statement. – July 28, 2019.