Minister: More funds to offset fuel price hike

Ministry to request for additional funds in 9MP mid-term review

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Razali Ismail said his ministry would request for additional funds in the mid-term review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) next month.

The purpose is to offset the fuel price increase, he said during a press conference in the town’s civic centre yesterday morning.

The Ministry of Education received RM23 billion or 25 per cent of the total national budget under the 9MP.

Sarawak and Sabah received the bulk of this for the development of school infrastructural facilities.

Among other things, the ministry was committed to the development of electricity and water supply, building of teacher’s quarters, boarding hostels and classrooms for rural schools.
Sarawak has an allocation of some RM2.05 billion for such purposes.

The ministry has completed all 429 rural school electricity projects in Sarawak.

Seventy three water supply projects, 75 teacher’s quarters, and 648 classrooms at 61 rural schools and 18 boarding hostels have been completed. These are among the 590 rural school development projects undertaken by the ministry.

However, the ministry has been facing constraints in implementing projects due to the increase in the prices of fuel. This has caused various delays such as in the supply of generators, Sesco wiring work and approval by the State Planning Authority (SPA).