BALINGIAN: The construction of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Balingian is categorised as a ‘sick project’, said Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development of Sarawak, Datuk Ir Aidel Lariwoo.
He stated that the progress of this project has only reached 20 per cent, compared to the scheduled 70 per cent.
“This is because, in 2022, the contractor faced several difficulties and technical issues related to the site conditions.
“Due to these issues, the design of this school is not suitable for the original project plan,” he said.
He said this during his visit to the SMK Balingian project site on Wednesday.
Further elaborating, he mentioned that this project will be coordinated with the Ministry of Education Malaysia (KPM) to find ways to improve it so that it can be used.
He explained that if the project is completed according to its original design, it may be difficult to use because of the low construction area.
Aidel added that SMK Balingian is a project that the local community has been waiting for since 2013, and it is only now being implemented due to technical problems.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development, Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee, stated that given the situation, he, along with Balingian State Assemblyman (ADUN) Abdul Yakub Arbi, has agreed to meet with KPM officials as soon as possible.
“We understand that the issues faced have caused delays, and once completed, the school will have limited usage and may not be safe for students.
“Because of this, we need to discuss with KPM to resolve the problems encountered,” he said.
He added that such a project causes problems for students, especially when they need to travel to Mukah, which affects their performance.
Meanwhile, Yakub expressed disappointment that the school, which the Balingian community has been eagerly waiting for, has not been implemented as originally planned.
“However, after seeing and visiting the project, we understand the reasons for the delay, which has caused it to be categorized as a ‘sick project.’
“Therefore, we will meet with KPM to resolve this issue and expedite the construction,” he added.
Previously, the construction project for SMK Balingian was accepted under the Tenth Malaysia Plan in 2013 and 2014, and it is one of the most anticipated projects by the Balingian residents.
