REPAIRS at three dilapidated rural schools in Sarawak has begun, while tenders for several others have been issued, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said.

Six schools, including the three where work has started, have received approval letters for repairs to begin, while approvals for 15 others will be finalised soon.

Tenders for another 16 have been delayed because of revisions by the Education Ministry and Sarawak Public Works Department to the scope and project costs, and will be issued next month, Lim added in a statement on the status of repairs of 37 rural schools in the state.

Lim’s statement follows recent remarks by Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg that the federal government had reneged on an agreement to fix dilapidated schools in the state.

Abang Johari said Sarawak had repaid RM700 million of a RM1 billion federal loan from Putrajaya, with the repayments meant for school repairs, but no work had been done since the first payment for the 37 schools last year.

The first payment of RM350 million was made in August last year, and the second tranche of another RM350 million earlier this month.

Lim confirmed that the Finance Ministry had received the second tranche on February 6.

He said he had ordered that the amount be used for the second phase of school upgrades in Sarawak, to be handled by the Education Ministry. 

Lim said the Finance Ministry has also allocated RM400 million in development funds this year, compared to RM100 million last year.

The funds are solely to be used for upgrades and repairs. 

Lim said tenders for the 16 schools where the scope of work and costs are being reviewed were delayed because of the need to assess proposals that some primary schools be closed and combined with other schools, with new buildings.

However, the Finance Ministry and the Works Ministry did not agree to such proposals.

“The combined schools will be at a further location from the communities they served. It will result in higher transport costs and commuting difficulties. 

“Therefore, the proposal to close the schools were rejected and the upgrades will be carried at the available schools.”

Sarawak still has to make a final repayment to Putrajaya and Abang Johari said this would depend on talks between the state’s Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Michael Manyin and Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad on March 12.

Manyin had previously said Sarawak was also unhappy over changes to some decisions regarding the repair of dilapidated schools, such as not allowing Sarawak JKR to take charge of managing and implementing the repairs. – February 20, 2020.