SARAWAK Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg today told a Metro Betong polytechnic student he could have the bus he requested provided the institution has a written consent to receive the vehicle from the state.

Johari said he has to impose this condition because of the Education Ministry’s directive to ban Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) elected representatives from visiting schools and other education institutions in the state.

He also told the student that Sarawak is prepared to build affordable student accommodation in Betong, some 250km from Kuching.

The student requested for the bus during today’s town hall meeting with Johari.

The student said the bus is needed to reach Kuching, Sibu and Miri where they can get more resources in the course of their studies.

“I am prepared to help. We want to help but it is becoming increasingly difficult for the state government to assist schools and other education institutions due to the directive,” Johari said as he tentatively approved a 20-seater bus.

He also said the federal government should not politicise education.

“If the schools don’t invite us, there is no reason for us to go.”

State Education Minister Michael Manyin recently said the federal ministry had sent two circulars with the instructions that GPS representatives wishing to visit schools must seek permission from the state’s education director.

He said most of the time, they will not be permitted to visit.

School visits, which was raised at last month’s state assembly sitting, were important for GPS reps in rural constituencies as schools approached them for assistance.

At the town hall, Johari said he will no longer compromise on repairs of dilapidated schools in Sarawak.

He said the failure of Putrajaya to maintain schools in the state gives him the impression that the federal government does not want students in rural areas to be properly educated.

“They don’t want us to be smart.”

He added Putrajaya, in allowing the schools to rot and not giving them enough aid, reminds him of what the British colonial administration did with its education policy.

He used the Primary 6 Common Entrance examination as an example.

He said pupils from better equipped schools would invariably have a higher passing rate than those from poorly equipped rural schools.

He said after complying with the present Pakatan Harapan federal government’s conditions, including making an unscheduled repayment of RM1 billion of the state’s loans in return to get the schools fixed, he expects repairs to be carried out.

There are 1,020 dilapidated schools and 415 critically dilapidated ones in the state. – December 15, 2019.