KUCHING: Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen yesterday “disputed critics of PH government that nothing has changed”.
Chong said allocations to Chinese primary and secondary schools have certainly changed and that the 2020 Budget will provide for bigger allocations to these schools.
He added that maintenance allocations for these schools in Sarawak has actually increased “twice the amount allocated by the previous government”.
“The maintenance allocation for SJK(C) primary schools is RM50 million and out of the figure, Sarawak received RM10 million (20 percent).
“While for the SMJK secondary schools, there was no allocation previously but the federal government has made a special provision. A total of RM15 million is being given and the state receives RM1.7 million (more than 10 percent),” Chong dislosed.
According to him, another special allocation for sixty Chinese independent schools amounting to RM12 million was allocated this year and all had been disbursed.
“We want to dispute the critics of PH government that nothing has change. One is that our education policy is more inclusive, the allocation has changed, the proportion for the state has increased and the disbursement of allocation is faster and consistent,” he told a press conference at Democratic Action Party (DAP) headquarters yesterday.
Chong assured that bigger allocations will be given out by the Education Ministry, and more promptly as well, in the upcoming 2020 Budget.
