KUCHING: Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen has been slammed for politicking and not knowing the real situation when Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Datuk Seri Michael Manyin Jawong talked about upgrading and rebuilding SK Maludam and SK Ulu Segan in his winding-up speech during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting last November.
Responding to the Stampin MP, who said the RM101 million for upgrading and rebuilding the two schools was too much, Manyin said Chong was just trying to create an issue out of nothing.
“You see, he did not attend the DUN sitting while I was giving my winding-up speech in which I clearly stated that SK Meludam and SK Ulu Segan are done through open tender. The ceiling value put up by the state government was RM101 million,” he said yesterday.
He then said the open tender process was handled by the Public Works Department (PWD), and the schools are now being built.
“For SK Meludam is built at a cost of RM35.765 million which Chong said was over RM60 million, while SK Ulu Segan costs RM29.5 million,” he said.
He said if Chong wanted to know about the details of the two schools, he should ask the PWD and not the state government.
“These two schools that he questioned… don’t ask us; ask JKR because they are all tendered out by JKR, not by us. We only initiated them; everything is done by JKR,” he said.
When asked for his advice to Chong on the matter, Manyin said his deputy Dr Annuar Rapaee had already given a reply.
“If he wants to play politics, why didn’t he ask about SK Samalaju and SMK Samalaju in Bintulu which cost much higher?
“I give you an example, SK Samalaju. The ceiling price is RM56.4 million while SMK Samalaju’s ceiling price is RM79.8 million,” he said.
He said the state government had nothing to hide unlike Chong who until now has yet to reveal the names of the sugar importers in Sarawak who have the approved permits (APs).
