SONG: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem has shown his great concern for Chinese education, yet again.
When an article written by the BAT V team on SJK (C) Ek Hua (in Mukah)’s difficulties to raise another RM600,000 for its school rebuilding effort was published on Friday, Adenan called Kapitan Tay Aik Seng on the same day and pledged RM200,000!
Tay is the school’s Rebuilding Committee chairman, and he had written a letter to the Chief Minister’s Office last April to request for financial allocation.
The school needs RM1 million for its rebuilding project, and over the years, the Chinese community in Kampung Penakub, Mukah, managed to raise only RM400,000.
Now that Adenan had stepped in, they are only short of RM400,000.
“I received a call from the chief minister two days ago to tell me that RM200,000 would be given to us to help build our school.
“I was very surprised by the call, and the fact that the decision had been made so instantly to meet the needs of our school.”
“We will not forget his prompt action, and we shall get the new building block up as soon as possible to repay his kindness,” Tay told BAT V in a telephone interview yesterday.
He said the site for the project had been levelled, and he hoped construction could start by the end of this year or early next year.
“We aim to complete the project by next year,” said Tay.
Ek Hua has been in urgent need of financial support to help rebuild its only school block.
The school, which was built in 1930, had given way to the present wooden block in 1957. After years of wear and tear, the wooden school block is now dilapidated and in need of a new double-storey concrete building to replace it.
The new two-storey building block will comprise classrooms, staff room, computer room and others.
Tay said the school not only catered for Chinese students but also for Melanau students who live nearby.
There are about 80 students now attending the school and more than 50 per cent of the students are Melanau students.
Though named Kampung Penakub Cina, about 70 Chinese and Melanau families live side by side, and intermarriage is very common.
There are two more Melanau villages within the vicinity of Kampung Penakub Cina: Kampung Sesok and Kampung Sesok Baru.
Some of the Melanau children from these two villages are also attending Ek Hua because the Melanau parents want their children to be able to read and write in Chinese.
On the whole, Tay said the Chinese community had been supportive of the government and will continue to do so for the coming state election.
“This gesture of the chief minister shows that we have been right to support the BN government for the last 30 years, since I became the Kapitan.”-Borneo Post
Post a Comment