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The Deputy Prime Minister, Musa and Bung visit Kampung Bukit Garam
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12th March, 2010
KINABATANGAN: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said more than 50 schools in flood-prone areas in Sabah and Sarawak have been identified for relocation.
He said the relocation of the schools would be given priority in the upcoming Tenth Malaysia Plan as the government was determined to resolve the problem.
Muhyiddin who is also Education Minister, added that the relocation of these schools had actually begun during the Eighth Malaysia Plan but had to be continued during the Ninth and Tenth Malaysia Plans because of their large number.
“We have identified all the schools and we have to resolve this in stages,” he said when presenting aid to residents affected by the recent floods at SK Bukit Garam here yesterday.
According to him, the relocation of the schools was however dependent on the availability of alternative sites and the availability of funds.
Also present were Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman and Regional, Rural Development Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal and Kinabatangan MP Datuk Bung Moktar Radin.
Muhyiddin also said his ministry was aware that some schools in Kinabatangan that were susceptible to floods and that one school in Sarawak had been submerged 18 times in one year.
“How can we expect the students in these schools to concentrate on their studies if they are constantly faced with this situation,” Muhyiddin added.
Meanwhile, Muhyiddin explained that the cutbacks in operational expenditures for schools had been reversed.
He said his ministry like other ministries had been given less allocations in view of the economic slowdown.
But, the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak), he said, decided to provide additional funds for schools when the matter was brought to his attention.
“My ministry will pay for the utility bills of schools.
“But we should also learn to conserve electricity and water usage. We have 10,000 schools nationwide and that is a lot of utility bills to pay,” he stressed.
The Deputy Prime Minister said this when asked about the problems faced by some Sabah schools which had been told by the Education Department that the annual funding for electricity and water bills was limited to RM2,000.
“This is no longer the case. Perhaps the latest directive had not reached these schools,” he added.
And yesterday, Muhyiddin also announced the provision of water and power supply, road and jetty projects at a cost of nearly RM88 million to benefit more than 1,000 families in Kinabatangan district.
He also presented financial aid of RM500 to each of the 20 families affected by the recent floods.
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