Report Unsatisfactory Contract Works

Schools urged to report unsatisfactory contract jobs

School authorities have been urged to report discrepancies in contract jobs without fear.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim said shoddy work and over-valued jobs should be reported so that appropriate action could be taken against those responsible.

“After the over-valued contract job in a school in Johor came to the limelight, I had called on the schools to give feedback.

“I even had my fax number flashed in the media. But we did not receive a single call from schools."

“So, I took the initiative to ask my officers to call 114 schools to find out if they are happy with the repair jobs at the schools. "

“Most said they are satisfied, some said they have no comment, and a handful of them said they are not satisfied. "

“I forwarded the dissatisfied cases to the Works Ministry for follow up action,” he said.

He added the Works Ministry was in charge of monitoring repair works in schools and awarding contracts.

Hon said this after visiting SJK (C) Keat Hwa K and SJK (C) Keat Hwa S here on Monday.

He said the Keat Hwa K school board members had requested for the school to be relocated elsewhere.

A teacher fell to his death last year when the wooden flooring on the second floor that was heavily infested with termites gave way.

Hon said the the school board should find suitable piece of land and initiate fund-raising drives to finance building works.

“The government will only help to top up the fund, if needed,” he said.

Hon also said the government had doubled the allocation for partially aided schools from RM50mil during the Eighth Malaysia Plan to RM100mil in the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

“This year alone, 152 partially aided Chinese schools were given a total of RM8.257 mil,” he said, adding that last year the Chinese schools only received about RM4mil.

He said 114 Chinese primary schools received an additional allocation of RM4.7 mil last year to repair damages caused by termites.