KUCHING: Unless a new decision is reached, the Education Ministry will stop the supply of diesel to 21 mission and Chinese schools in rural areas from April 1 this year.
State Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Datuk Seri Michael Manyin Jawong hopes for a change of heart on the part of the federal government or else supply will cease as per an announcement made by the Education Minister last year.
If the federal government goes ahead with the decision, some 1,500 students will be affected.
Manyin, however, would still like to believe that supply would continue following his meeting with the Ministry of Education and the State Secretary Friday.
“I have met all of the affected schools’ representatives last week, and yesterday (Friday) I had a meeting with the Ministry of Education together with the State Secretary and requested to them to not stop the supply of diesel.
“The response that I got from them was very positive, and I believe that they will continue supplying the diesel because I really appealed to them on the matter,” said Manyin during a media interview after the PBB Supreme Council Meeting yesterday.
According to Manyin, the announcement to stop supply was made by the Education Minister last year, which only affects mission schools and Chinese schools.
The schools comprise five Catholic mission schools, four Chinese schools and those run by the Anglican and Methodist churches.
For the record, the diesel supply was initiated in 2014 until 2016 which involved over 30 contractors supplying diesel worth RM1 billion to 297 schools.
But from 2017 to 2019, supply has been unstable because a single supplier was tasked with serving 271 schools.
