Kuala Lumpur: The federal government has approved the construction of a new hostel building for Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Libaran, Sabah, which is estimated to cost RM17 million, to overcome transportation problem of students at the school.
Deputy Education Minister I Muslimin Yahaya said it is also hoped to overcome the high rate of absenteeism among students at the school.
He said allocation for the project will be channeled under the First Rolling Plan (RP1) of the 12th Malaysia Plan next year.
"The proposed scope of work is the construction of a hostel building with a capacity of 200 students, a dining hall, a warden's house and other related facilities," he told the Dewan Rakyat sitting during the oral question and answer session today.
He was responding to a question from Datuk Zakaria Mohd Edris (Bersatu-Libaran) who wanted to know about the hotel project for the school.
Muslimin said the allocation for the hostel approved together with the construction of the school building under RP1 of the 11th Malaysia Plan in 2016.
As of Nov 31, he said, the project, worth RM29.6 million and includes the construction of 24 classrooms, was 95.5 percent completed.
