2008/05/08
At the Sabah Assembly: Sabah schools lack funds 'for even basic facilities'
Datuk Seri Musa Aman (right) with Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan (second from left) and Datuk Yahya Hussin before his speech at the assembly yesterday.
MANY schools in Sabah are short of tables and chairs, forcing students to sit on the floor during classes.
The problem was attributed to insufficient funds for the maintenance and buying of additional tables and chairs from the Education Ministry.
State Education Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said a sum of RM21.4 million was required to address the problem but the Education Ministry only approved RM2.2 million.
"This (allocation given by the Education Ministry) is unacceptable," he said, adding that Sabah had yet to receive the RM2.2 million approved for the state.
He apologised for not being able to solve the many problems and issues raised by members of the House, saying that he was "powerless".
"Although I am the minister in charge of education in Sabah, there is nothing much I can do because the approval and provision of funds for schools is not within my power."
Sabah has a total of 1,064 government primary schools and 207 secondary schools, but Masidi did not specify how many of the schools did not have sufficient tables and chairs.
Masidi said all he could do was to continue writing to the Education Ministry about the problem.
On Monday, Datuk Hamisah Samat (Umno-Tanjung Batu) had told the house that pupils of SK Kalabakan in her constituency had to sit on the floor during classes due to lack of tables and chairs.
Winding-up for his ministry, Masidi said the problem raised by the member of Tanjung Batu was only the tip of the iceberg.
"We have been talking about smart schools, but in Sabah many schools don't even have basic facilities."
Earlier, during the question-and-answer session, Masidi said the unprecedented increase in the prices of building materials, such as cement and steel, had delayed the construction of new schools in the state.
He said the contractors had asked for the contract price to be reviewed upward to enable them to complete the construction.
May 06, 2008
83,000 dropouts in three years
Thursday May 1, 2008
83,000 dropouts in three years
SOME 83,000 students dropped out from primary and secondary schools in the past three years and the Government wants to stop this.
“Although this figure represents a small 2% of the total five million students that we have, 83,000 is still quite a number and we want to further reduce the number,” Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak told reporters yesterday.
He added that several measures would be taken to reduce the dropout rate including asking the Education Ministry to set up vocational schools catering for younger students.
“This will give more students who are not academically-inclined to continue their education in vocational institutes,” said Najib after chairing the National Training Council meeting at the Parliament.
He added that training more skilled workers would also complement the country's needs, including the ability to supply more workers to small- and medium-scale industries (SMIs).
The Government has decided to provide a RM300 monthly allowance to each apprentice undergoing the training scheme, which was meant to meet the demand for SMI workers.
The meeting, said Najib, also made projections for future needs for workers in industries aiding the progress of the economy, such as the services sector.
With the projections, the Government would take the necessary steps to provide the right kind of skills training to meet industry needs.
83,000 dropouts in three years
SOME 83,000 students dropped out from primary and secondary schools in the past three years and the Government wants to stop this.
“Although this figure represents a small 2% of the total five million students that we have, 83,000 is still quite a number and we want to further reduce the number,” Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak told reporters yesterday.
He added that several measures would be taken to reduce the dropout rate including asking the Education Ministry to set up vocational schools catering for younger students.
“This will give more students who are not academically-inclined to continue their education in vocational institutes,” said Najib after chairing the National Training Council meeting at the Parliament.
He added that training more skilled workers would also complement the country's needs, including the ability to supply more workers to small- and medium-scale industries (SMIs).
The Government has decided to provide a RM300 monthly allowance to each apprentice undergoing the training scheme, which was meant to meet the demand for SMI workers.
The meeting, said Najib, also made projections for future needs for workers in industries aiding the progress of the economy, such as the services sector.
With the projections, the Government would take the necessary steps to provide the right kind of skills training to meet industry needs.
May 05, 2008
Build-then-sell concept can help solve problems of abandoned projects
2008/05/05
Build-then-sell concept can help solve problems of abandoned projects
BERNAMA
The use of the build-then-sell concept can help solve the problems of abandoned housing projects, said Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop.
“The government is thinking of this alternative to help end the problems of abandoned housing projects,” he at a question-and-answer session in Parliament here today.
He said the concept was still new in the country compared to other countries.
Nor Mohamed said this in reply to a supplementary question by Fong Kui Lun (DAP-Bukit Bintang) who wanted to know about the government’s plan to save the Plaza Rakyat and Nas Pavillion projects which had been abandoned for over twelve years and many buyers faced problems paying loans to banks and financial institutions. He said the two projects would be completed by Kuala Lumpur City Hall.
Meanwhile, Nor Mohamed said the government has also taken various steps to ensure that problems of abandoned projects would not be repeated.
“Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd, which was set up to help resolve the problems of abandoned projects, has up to now completed 9,208 abandoned units.
“The Ministry of Housing and Local Government has also allowed applications for housing projects to get approval within six months,” he said.
Meanwhile, replying to Nasharudfdin Mat Isa (Pas-Bachok) who wanted to know how the rakyat could benefit from the Fund to Revive Abandoned Projects (TPPT) which was set up in 1990, he said it had so far revived 74 housing projects nationwide.
“Overall, TPTT has helped to revive projects worth over RM356.2 million involving 17,730 houses of which 32 percent, or 5,717 units, were low-cost houses,” he said.
The TPPT, tasked to provide financial assistance to developers to revive abandoned projects, has ceased to accept applications since 1992, he said.
Build-then-sell concept can help solve problems of abandoned projects
BERNAMA
The use of the build-then-sell concept can help solve the problems of abandoned housing projects, said Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop.
“The government is thinking of this alternative to help end the problems of abandoned housing projects,” he at a question-and-answer session in Parliament here today.
He said the concept was still new in the country compared to other countries.
Nor Mohamed said this in reply to a supplementary question by Fong Kui Lun (DAP-Bukit Bintang) who wanted to know about the government’s plan to save the Plaza Rakyat and Nas Pavillion projects which had been abandoned for over twelve years and many buyers faced problems paying loans to banks and financial institutions. He said the two projects would be completed by Kuala Lumpur City Hall.
Meanwhile, Nor Mohamed said the government has also taken various steps to ensure that problems of abandoned projects would not be repeated.
“Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd, which was set up to help resolve the problems of abandoned projects, has up to now completed 9,208 abandoned units.
“The Ministry of Housing and Local Government has also allowed applications for housing projects to get approval within six months,” he said.
Meanwhile, replying to Nasharudfdin Mat Isa (Pas-Bachok) who wanted to know how the rakyat could benefit from the Fund to Revive Abandoned Projects (TPPT) which was set up in 1990, he said it had so far revived 74 housing projects nationwide.
“Overall, TPTT has helped to revive projects worth over RM356.2 million involving 17,730 houses of which 32 percent, or 5,717 units, were low-cost houses,” he said.
The TPPT, tasked to provide financial assistance to developers to revive abandoned projects, has ceased to accept applications since 1992, he said.
May 02, 2008
PSD scholarships for SPM students with 9As
Saturday May 3, 2008
PSD scholarships for SPM students with 9As
PETALING JAYA: The Public Service Department (PSD) will offer scholarships to all students who scored 9As in their SPM examinations last year, regardless of background, to study Form Six in fully-aided schools.
Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan said students who do matriculation, including those in Universiti Malaya’s Science Preparatory Centre and International Islamic University’s matriculation programme, would also be offered scholarships.
These students will also be sponsored for their first degree if they do it in a local university, he said in a statement yesterday.
Sidek said the PSD would also sponsor such students if they obtained places in an Ivy League or equivalent university.
Top-scoring students who get a place in a Malaysian branch of a foreign university such as Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University of Technology and Swinburne Unversity will also be offered scholarships.
On top of this, Sidek said the PSD would offer scholarships to 2,000 students for overseas studies and a further 10,000 for studies in local universities.
He said the scholarships were being offered in line with the Government’s efforts to develop human capital.
He said the Government was aware that the number of high achievers is growing every year. Yet, not every student would have a chance to get Government sponsorship.
“The Government realises that high achievers are assets.
“As such, it has introduced the initiative to increase the number of scholarships where students of any background will be offered as long as they satisfy the SPM 9A score condition,” he said.
The move, Sidek added, would indirectly encourage these high achievers to further their education in local universities.
PSD scholarships for SPM students with 9As
PETALING JAYA: The Public Service Department (PSD) will offer scholarships to all students who scored 9As in their SPM examinations last year, regardless of background, to study Form Six in fully-aided schools.
Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan said students who do matriculation, including those in Universiti Malaya’s Science Preparatory Centre and International Islamic University’s matriculation programme, would also be offered scholarships.
These students will also be sponsored for their first degree if they do it in a local university, he said in a statement yesterday.
Sidek said the PSD would also sponsor such students if they obtained places in an Ivy League or equivalent university.
Top-scoring students who get a place in a Malaysian branch of a foreign university such as Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University of Technology and Swinburne Unversity will also be offered scholarships.
On top of this, Sidek said the PSD would offer scholarships to 2,000 students for overseas studies and a further 10,000 for studies in local universities.
He said the scholarships were being offered in line with the Government’s efforts to develop human capital.
He said the Government was aware that the number of high achievers is growing every year. Yet, not every student would have a chance to get Government sponsorship.
“The Government realises that high achievers are assets.
“As such, it has introduced the initiative to increase the number of scholarships where students of any background will be offered as long as they satisfy the SPM 9A score condition,” he said.
The move, Sidek added, would indirectly encourage these high achievers to further their education in local universities.
Education Ministry to relook 9MP projects
Saturday May 3, 2008
Education Ministry to relook 9MP projects
PUTRAJAYA: The Education Ministry is reprioritising its projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).
Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the projects included the construction of sports and arts schools.
“We have been facing problems with land issues and the rising cost of things in the past two years which are unlikely to be resolved by the end of the 9MP,” he told reporters after chairing the weekly post-Cabinet meeting.
He said this was in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s statement that the Government would not sacrifice “people-centred projects” which had been lined up under the 9MP.
Abdullah said the projects had to be scaled down in terms of allocation or postponed but those related to the well-being of the people would not be sacrificed.
Hishammuddin said 75% of projects under the 9MP were under way.
“But as prices of goods have gone beyond what we planned for, the cost (of the projects) has gone slightly over the RM23.1bil allocated,” he said.
On another matter, Hishammuddin said his deputy Dr Wee Ka Siong visited the SJKC Damansara premises yesterday morning.
“We have to look into several issues such as why it was closed previously and reasons for it to be reopened,” he said.
In February, the Prime Minister had asked Hishammuddin to look into the request from the Chinese community that the school be reopened.
According to a report, the school was officially closed in 2001 and the 1,400 pupils moved to temporary premises at another school in Bandar Utama based on the request of a majority of parents.
Meanwhile, Hishammuddin said there were still complaints of stress and workload issues from teachers.
“My deputy Datuk Razali Ismail has been meeting the 24 teachers’ unions on this. We want them to be able to concentrate on their core business (of teaching),” he said.
Education Ministry to relook 9MP projects
PUTRAJAYA: The Education Ministry is reprioritising its projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).
Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the projects included the construction of sports and arts schools.
“We have been facing problems with land issues and the rising cost of things in the past two years which are unlikely to be resolved by the end of the 9MP,” he told reporters after chairing the weekly post-Cabinet meeting.
He said this was in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s statement that the Government would not sacrifice “people-centred projects” which had been lined up under the 9MP.
Abdullah said the projects had to be scaled down in terms of allocation or postponed but those related to the well-being of the people would not be sacrificed.
Hishammuddin said 75% of projects under the 9MP were under way.
“But as prices of goods have gone beyond what we planned for, the cost (of the projects) has gone slightly over the RM23.1bil allocated,” he said.
On another matter, Hishammuddin said his deputy Dr Wee Ka Siong visited the SJKC Damansara premises yesterday morning.
“We have to look into several issues such as why it was closed previously and reasons for it to be reopened,” he said.
In February, the Prime Minister had asked Hishammuddin to look into the request from the Chinese community that the school be reopened.
According to a report, the school was officially closed in 2001 and the 1,400 pupils moved to temporary premises at another school in Bandar Utama based on the request of a majority of parents.
Meanwhile, Hishammuddin said there were still complaints of stress and workload issues from teachers.
“My deputy Datuk Razali Ismail has been meeting the 24 teachers’ unions on this. We want them to be able to concentrate on their core business (of teaching),” he said.
April 28, 2008
July 06, 2007
April 05, 2006
Adham Fawwaz Shah 1st Birthday
Have an awesome day today, and you might not remember it, but we all will because it is a special day my Chella Kutty
April 05, 2005
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