Dennis greets pupils upon arriving at the fundraising carnival in SK Long Miri.

MIRI: The federal government must ensure that it carries out its promise to repair or upgrade dilapidated schools in Sarawak  within the next five years, especially those in rural areas.

Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau said matters concerning education should not be politicised but instead implemented immediately.

“Education being a federal matter shouldn’t be politicised.  This was the case under the previous administration, where works to repair dilapidated schools were carried out whenever needed.

“The current government needs to continue the path set by the previous administration to repair, upgrade or build schools especially in rural areas such as Baram.

“Any review will only cause unnecessary delays,” he said when officiating at a fundraising carnival at SK Long Miri, Baram recently.

Dennis was commenting on Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik who, during his recent working visit to Kuching, assured that dilapidated schools in Sarawak would be repaired within the next five years.

He also invited the minister to visit schools in his constituency to see for himself the urgency of the situation there.

Dennis also called on schools to work closely with parent-teacher associations and the local community in taking their own initiative through gotong-royong (work party) to carry out minor repair works to provide a conducive teaching and learning environment.

“For minor repair works, they should not wait or depend on the ministry or the government but take the initiative themselves.”