KUCHING: The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state government has handed over a RM10 million grant to help Chinese independent schools in Sarawak this year.
There is an increase of RM1 million this year compared with last year’s grant or an increase of RM4 million from four years ago when Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg first took over as chief Minister of Sarawak.
Abang Johari presented a cheque for the grant to the chairman of Kuching Chung Hua Middle Schools No.1, 3 and 4 Management Board Committee, Datuk Richard Wee during a brief ceremony at his office in Wisma Bapa Malaysia, Petra Jaya this morning (Jan 25).
Wee is also the deputy chairman of Sarawak United Association of Private Chinese Secondary Schools Management Board.
Also present to witness the ceremony was Local Government and Housing Minister and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) president Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
The Sarawak government has been allocating special funds to Chinese independent schools since 2014 with an initial grant of RM3 million.
Since then, there has been a yearly increment. The grant went up to RM8 million in 2019 and last year, it was a whopping RM9 million, a strong evidence of the GPS government’s serious commitment in assisting the development of the schools in the state.
When officiating at the opening of the new SJK Chung Hua Bako near here last year, the chief minister even directed the formation of a special unit under the Local Government and Housing Ministry to facilitate applications and grants for Chinese schools in the state. He also announced an allocation of RM8 million on top of the yearly grant for the unit.
Abang Johari assured that GPS would continue to look after Chinese schools as long as it remained at the helm of the state government.
There is a total of 14 Chinese independent or private secondary schools statewide, costing the board a whopping RM35 million in expenditure annually.
