Stop Talking Solve Remaining Ma63 Issues Warisan Tells Ongkili

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Former assistant education and innovation minister Jenifer Lasimbang said out of the 1,296 schools in Sabah, 589 were classified as ‘daif’ (dilapidated).KOTA KINABALU: A former Warisan state assistant minister today chided Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister Maximus Ongkili who recently claimed the previous Pakatan Harapan-Warisan administration had not solved 17 out of 21 issues pertaining to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Jenifer Lasimbang, the former assistant education and innovation minister, said Ongkili should not be spending too much time talking about “trivial issues” while neglecting more important matters that affect Sabahans.
She added that Ongkili, who is Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president, should not waste any more time talking about the 17 points or Ligitan, but move quickly to solve the many pressing issues in Sabah.
“Maybe PH’s commitment on the 17 points of MA63 is the only political lifeline that both PBS and Ongkili has now, hence, the reason they are talking about it incessantly.
Jenifer Lasimbang.“They are hoping that Sabahans will forget PBS’s inept failure (to solve issues) despite spending 20 years in copulation with Umno,” she said in a statement.
She instead advised Ongkili to start delivering what Sabah and Sarawak are entitled to when they formed the Malaysian federation with then Malaya, particularly to improve the sorry conditions of schools in both states.
Lasimbang said that during her two-year stint as the assistant minister, her fact-finding missions all over Sabah unearthed shocking revelations.
She said almost half of the schools in the state were categorised as “daif” (dilapidated).
“Out of the 1,296 schools in Sabah, 589 are classified as daif, where our schoolchildren have to use water from wells and the schools have rusted roofing which causes rain to come into the classrooms.
“Children have to endure hot conditions because of non-functioning fans. Worst of all, they have to sleep on the floor without beds in school hostels,” she said.
Ongkili had previously said the special council on MA63 set up by the Perikatan Nasional-led government had found that most of the 17 MA63 issues, which PH had claimed had been resolved, were just “mere commitments”.
The minister said no policies, laws or regulations were implemented to enable these commitments to be carried out in practice.
Ongkili promised that the PN government would deliver on these commitments. This would begin with the formal return of the Ligitan and Sipadan islands to Sabah, and the return of full control and management of gas distribution to Sarawak.
Lasimbang said based on her decade-long experience with Unicef, she could attest to the sorry condition of the schools. She said this showed the lack of enthusiasm and vigour on the part of both the state and federal governments in the past.
She said they should have created a progressive society where schoolchildren from the rural areas could be given the opportunity to experience upward social mobility by getting a good education.
“If Ongkili aspires to be a respectable statesman, then he should stop bragging about the 21 points of MA63 as if he is a novice politician.
“He should instead start to think about how to reduce the Kota Marudu district’s 46% poverty rate, which is the third highest in Malaysia, and also play a useful role regarding the conditions of our schools,” she said.
Loretto Padua Jr.Warisan secretary-general Loretto Padua Jr said the party would continue to play its part in ensuring Sabahan schoolchildren received a better standard of education, especially with improved school facilities and hostels.
Loretto said Warisan had inherited a “very messy” state from the previous Barisan Nasional state government.
He contended the Sabah BN government had grown complacent after having no competition at all for almost 24 years in state politics.
“That complacency was the reason why they had no urgency or passion to ensure our schoolchildren received equal school facilities as those in Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
Loretto said Warisan would continue to place education as its priority.
He added that the now-defunct state education and innovation ministry had managed to secure important deals for Sabah schools.
“Hence, we will re-establish this ministry if Sabahans return the mandate back to us,” he said. - FMT

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