Mission schools hail KL for delivering promise
Published on: Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Council of Christian Mission Schools (SCCMS) expressed its appreciation and gratitude to the Federal Government for delivering its promise to look into the financial welfare of mission schools under the 2012 Special Stimulus Package Fund for Mission Schools in Sabah. Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman presented the cheques to representatives of Christian Mission schools at SM Lok Yuk, here, recently.Chairperson of SCCMS, Datuk Mary Yap Kain Ching thanked the Federal government for accommodating this special request for allocation of funds for mission schools.
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"This aspect is among the resolutions put forward to the Federal Government by the Federation of Councils of Christian Mission Schools Malaysia (FCCMSM) led by Yap Kok Keong through the Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok."The fund is distributed under the 10th Malaysian Plan. Some schools had already received the allocation last year."FCCMSM represents all the 448 Christian mission schools in the country," she said. Of the figure, Dompok also acts as Chairman of the Sub-Committee which implements decisions made by the Technical Committee on Sabah and Sarawak Bumiputera (with regard to mission schools and native customary right land).Yap, a retired Super Principal, said the Prime Minister and his Cabinet take cognizance of FCCMSM's objective of looking into the welfare of Christian Mission schools in the country as well as the need to preserve the identity of mission schools.
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Giving the assurance at a luncheon meeting with the Heads of Christian Churches on January 4 this year, Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak had said the ethos, special character and traditions of Christian mission schools should be maintained.FCCMSM, which consists of the Malayan Council of Christian Mission Schools in Semenanjung Malaysia, Sabah Council of Christian Mission Schools and Sarawak Council of Christian Mission Schools, was officially formed on April 7, 2010 after the Conference of the Christian Mission Schools in Malaysia held in June 2009. Najib officiated at the conference shortly after launching the 1Malaysia logo at Dataran Merdeka.
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FCCMSM convenes under the patronage of Dompok as he was instrumental in pushing for the federation to be formed. "In this context, FCMSM is banking on the Federal Minister to ensure the resolutions regarding mission schools' welfare, which have been submitted to the Federal Government through the Ministry of Education would materialise. "Thanks to (Tan Sri) Dompok's ardent determination to revive the past glory of mission schools, there has been encouraging outcome of the Resolutions as far as the Education Ministry is concerned," Yap pointed out.One such outcome is the Ministry's green light for the teaching of Bible Knowledge in government and government-aided schools.Meanwhile, Yap advised Chairmen of the respective School Boards of Management on the use of funds from the Federal and State governments."Do exercise integrity and transparency in managing the use of the funds based on the projects for which the schools have applied for the money."Reports upon the completion of the school projects need to be sent to Miss Yap Pak Soon (Secretary of the Sabah Council of Christian Mission Schools). These documents will then be handed over to the Ministry of Education," she said.The line-up of SCCMS:Chairperson: Datuk Mary Yap Kain Ching (Anglican)Secretary: Yap Pak Soon (Basel)Treasurer: Philip Lee ( Catholic)Representatives of Catholic Mission: Sister Rita Chew, Jeyan Marimuttu and Justin Asok.Representatives of Anglican Mission: Acdn. Moses Chin and Tung Yow Choi.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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