HOW PWD BLEW AWAY HOPES OF THREE SCHOOLS DUE TO "INEFFICIENCY"

How PWD blew away hopes of three schools

November 23, 2010 THE Public Works Department (PWD) was chided over the loss of a RM1.5 million allocation from the Education Ministry due to "inefficiency" in submitting a report on three primary schools in Sebatik to the Tawau district education office.

Sebatik Assemblyman Abd Muis Picho said the Ministry had approved the allocation for repairs on the three schools - SK Kukusan, SK Bahagia and SK Jembatan Putih.

"Unfortunately due to delay in the report and evaluation from the Public Works Department, the RM1.5 million was retracted," he said while participating in the State 2011 Budget debate.

More saddening was the fact that the SK Kukusan canteen was facing collapse and could endanger about 300 pupils.

At the same time, SK Kukusan, SK Bahagia, SK Jembatan Putih as well as SK Perdana were also without Occupational Certificates (OC) and development plans.

The schools were built through allocations from the State Federal Development Department or JPPS.

But after the department closed shop (replaced by Sabah State Development Office) there was no follow-up action taken by the district education office to get the OCs for the schools.

"In fact, more disappointingly they claimed the Development Plan for the schools had gone missing," he said.

Muis also suggested that Sebatik be turned into a proper checkpoint centre for people from Indonesia and Philippines coming in on the sea route.

He also asked what other income alternative was there for Yayasan Sabah if the royalty from timber had been reduced.