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KOTA KINABALU: A total of 109 Chinese national-type primary schools (SJKC) and mission schools in the State and Labuan received their respective share of the stimulus package under Budget 2014 here Monday, the first in the country to receive the special allocation. Of this 45 are SJKC, which received an accumulated total of RM4.31million, while 64 mission schools received altogether RM4.257mil.

Deputy Education Minister I, Datuk Mary Yap, presented the allocation to these schools in a ceremony held at SJKC Shan Tao here, in front of Special Tasks Minister Datuk Teo Chee Kang, Assistant Minister to Chief Minister Datuk Edward Yong, Batu Sapi MP Datuk Linda Tsen, Luyang Assemblyman Hiew King Cheu and State Education Director Datuk Jame Alip, among others.

Others would be receiving theirs in the second presentation to be made later, Yap said, urging those schools concerned to immediately submit their financial report to the Ministry to facilitate further action.

The school's financial report is important because the amount of allocation a school receives would be based on it, she said.

She said she is stating this because there are schools which have yet to submit their financial report despite having been notified about it.

So far only 66 SJKCs out of the total 98 in Sabah have been listed as recipients of the school allocation, which the rest would receive theirs under the second presentation later.

Yap also wants the special allocation to be used accordingly and not for other purposes, like investing the money in Fixed Deposits, because it would create unnecessary impression that the school concerned actually do not need a financial assistance.

Last year, 140 SJKCs and mission schools in both Sabah and Labuan received this special allocation involving an accumulated total of RM38,360,000, while for 2012, RM24,243,345 had been distributed to 152 schools.

In 2011, the Ministry allocated RM20,900,085 for 68 SJKCs and mission schools in both areas.

State Education Director Datuk Jame Alip, said the special stimulus package allocation is proof of the government's commitment to supporting the National Development Agenda aspirations under the Malaysian Education Development Plan (PPPM) 2013-2025.

"The government has never abandoned education development for government aided schools in making a success of the National Education Development Agenda under the PPPM," he said.

He said the special stimulus package allocation is meant to assist the schools in managing their respective expenditure involving construction and repair of school infrastructure, maintenance, renovation due to upgrading purposes and others that involve high cost, so as to lessen their burden.