Kuala Lumpur: The Ministry of Education has been urged to cooperate with the Sarawak state government to take immediate and transparent action in resolving the issue of land ownership regularisation for Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Bau.
The call was made by Mas Gading MP, Mordi Bimol, during the debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13) in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Mordi said the cooperation must not affect the operations of SMK Bau and must ensure that the school does not fall victim to the greed of certain parties.
“The issue of regularising the land for SMK Bau has yet to reach a conclusive resolution. What’s more concerning is that the school was informed it may need to be relocated because the current site is said to be at risk of flooding, as stated by the Sarawak Land and Survey Department (JTS) and confirmed by the Sarawak Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID).
“However, what’s strange is that a commercial development project was approved and is being implemented near the same area! This raises a serious question: if the location is considered unsuitable for a school due to flood risks, why is it deemed suitable for a private project?
“Where is the consistency in decision-making among agencies, and what are our real development priorities – people or profit?” he asked.
He added that there are allegations the relocation process of SMK Bau may be manipulated by certain parties to sell land to the government at inflated prices.
“If true, this is no longer just an issue of floods or education. This becomes a matter of integrity, transparency, and social justice,” he said.
In addition, Mordi highlighted that the issue of rebuilding dilapidated and unsafe schools continues to plague rural areas under the jurisdiction of the Bau and Lundu District Education Offices (PPD).
“Schools such as Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Atas, SK Segong, and SK Buso have been identified under Category Scale 7 and are no longer suitable for use. However, reconstruction has been delayed due to site space constraints and delays in land acquisition.
“SK Selampit is currently undergoing technical evaluation, and I urge that its reconstruction be given priority in RMK13,” he said.
He also emphasised the importance of the new building project for PPD Bau, which is still in the design phase, and the proposed building for PPD Lundu, which has yet to be approved.
“All these projects must be implemented immediately and prioritised in the early Rolling Plan of RMK13,” he said.
Furthermore, Mordi said the biggest challenge faced by rural schools is not just dilapidated buildings or delayed projects, but the chronic lack of direct funding – particularly through the Per Capita Grant (PCG).
“I urge that RMK13, specifically through Strategy B1.6: Improving Investment in Education, be used by the Ministry of Education to take concrete steps in overhauling the current PCG structure.
“It is time for the PCG rate to be comprehensively reassessed to align with current realities and the needs of students on the ground,” he said.
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