Kota Kinabalu: Revelations that several approved school construction projects under the 12th Malaysia Plan remain unimplemented is proof Sabah continues to be sidelined, said Likas Assemblyman Tham Yun Fook.
He supports concerns over the delay, noting that SMK Kabogan II is still forced to share facilities with SK Bubul II in Semporna.
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He said other approved projects including SMK Datuk Panglima Abdullah, SMK Bugaya II, SK Egang-Egang and SK Hampalan have to be built.
“If funding has been approved and the projects have received official clearance, why are they still being delayed?” he said, adding that similar “menumpang” schools and other approved education projects across Sabah have also remained stalled.
Tham, a former senior education officer, said the issue reflected a much broader problem facing the state’s education sector, including a shortage of schools, dilapidated buildings, inadequate facilities and overcrowded classrooms.
“These persistent delays not only undermine students’ learning environment and educational opportunities but also suggest that education development in Sabah has yet to receive the priority it deserves from the Ministry of Education,” he said.
He stressed that school safety must be treated as a top priority, especially in the wake of recent earthquakes and other natural disasters affecting parts of Sabah.
“The authorities must not wait until a building collapses or students are injured before taking action,” he said.
Tham added that Sabah should not be treated as a second-class state, saying its children deserve educational facilities and opportunities on par with those enjoyed elsewhere in Malaysia.
“The failure to implement approved projects highlights the gap between promises and actual delivery in Sabah’s education development,” he said.
He urged the Ministry of Education to provide an immediate and transparent update on the status of all delayed school projects in Sabah, including their implementation schedules, current progress and expected completion dates.
He also called on the government to establish a bipartisan special monitoring mechanism to ensure approved education projects in Sabah are no longer hampered by bureaucratic delays and administrative shortcomings.
“Education is a fundamental right of every Malaysian, and the Federal Government has a responsibility to ensure every approved school project is implemented and completed without unreasonable delay,” he said.
