Batu Kitang State Assemblyman, Dato IR Lo Khere Chiang joins SK Haji Baki gotong royong

suppadmin | October 21, 2024

State assemblyman for Batu Kitang, Dato IR Lo Khere Chiang thanked YAB Premier Abang Jo for the funding to enable Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK)
Jalan Haji Baki school upgrading project. He also thanked Minister of works, Dato Sri Alexander Linggi and the Ketua Setiausaha for their assistance throughout to make the school a modal one in the state.

In light of recent media coverage regarding the school, Lo felt that it is important to clarify the contributions of those involved. It’s crucial to acknowledge the hard work of the many individuals in our community who have contributed significantly to this project.

He said the journey to upgrade SK Jalan Haji Baki began in 2018, when the community first requested improvements. Following this, the then Prime Minister approved the project, leading to the initiation of an Industrial Building System (IBS) to temporarily accommodate students during construction.

“During my tenure as Chairman of the MPP, I facilitated meetings with stakeholders, consultants, and municipal authorities to address these issues. This collaborative effort spanned several years, concluding in 2023 when I stepped down.

Together with a local architect firm, engineers and JKR. We worked diligently to ensure the students could transition into temporary accommodations. Subsequently, the old block was demolished, and construction began on the new one on the same site, navigating challenges such as encroachments from an existing building. A key meeting in MPP on April 3, 2022, helped secure an agreement from the Education Department and allowed the project to proceed making sure that quality facilities were also being provided in the upgraded schools.

The timeline from the initial request in 2018 to the school’s completion in 2024 has indeed been lengthy. I am grateful for the collective efforts of everyone involved in bringing this vision to life,” he said.

While waiting for the completion of the IBS school,he allocated RM50,000 from his RTP funds for urgent rewiring of classrooms in the old, dilapidated timber building, as sparks had been observed during rainy days, posing a danger to students and teachers. This allocation was necessary for the safety of our community.

Noting that it is encouraging that the Ministry Of Education Malaysia through KSU mentioned that SK Jalan Haji Baki is exemplary and shall be made ‘contoh’ of what a good school should be like and for the rest of school projects.

“The completion of the SK Jalan Haji Baki project is a significant milestone for our community, deserving recognition for the collaborative efforts that made it possible. Let us also acknowledge the hard work of those in GPS who have genuinely worked behind the scenes to drive progress.
It is worth noting that after PH won the election, many projects in Sarawak including our Haji Baki Dewan (RM1,000,000), Haji Baki hawker center
(RM800,000), and cemetery ground improvement (RM500,000), faced cuts. Thanks to our YAB Premier Abang Jo via GPS, funding was secured to enable
these projects to proceed. Moreover, the federal conditions requiring us to surrender land belonging to Sarawak to the federal before constructing schools here are unacceptable,”he said.

Lo said the state government must push for greater autonomy in education, ensuring that decisions about the hiring and placement of teachers and decisions involving the curriculum—such as the history of Sarawak—reflect our community’s unique identity and needs.

He urged the federal government should continue to grant us the budget for education and health for Sarawak but allow Sarawak to plan and implement those
projects as there is no need for the federal government to interfere in the planning and construction of schools and hospitals on our own land. With the federal government siphoning RM80 billion from Sarawak annually from oil and gas revenues, it is only right for us to retain control over our land, especially for
our schools and hospitals.

Calling for Sarawakians to stay together with GPS in giving our YAB Premier Abang Jo a stronger mandate in pursuing full autonomy in education and health and in fighting for a one third representation in parliament. Our Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s repeated wishes to fulfil our rights under MA63 must be put into action. This is vital for the future of all our Anak-Anak Sarawak.