Minister: 40 Tamil schools slated for repair
Malaysiakini.com
Apr 23, 2008
Syed Jaymal Zahiid 

The tender to repair 40 Tamil schools nationwide will be open for bidding by May this year, said Works Minister Mohd Zin Mohamed.

The reparation projects worth RM 41.5 million will fall under the Ninth Malaysian Plan and is estimated to begin this July.

Out of the 40 schools, 31 will include the development of additional buildings and the remaining will undergo infra-structural upgrades.

ir mohd zin tamil school pc 230408 02"RM30 million out of the total budget has been allocated and approved by the Finance Ministry. It involves 10 schools from Selangor and 15 from other states," Zin (photo:left) told a press conference at the ministry’s office in Kuala Lumpur.

As for the remaining RM11. 5 million, the allocation will be given by the Education Ministry and streamed towards upgrading and reparation projects of nine schools while six others will receive additional buildings like canteens and toilets.

"Twenty-five of these projects will be given to D class contractors while 10 will go to F class contractors. B class and C class will each receive one contract each," he added.

Tamil schools in this country suffer from poor maintenance and are often found in dilapidated conditions.

Various Tamil education activists including current Klang DAP MP Charles Santiago have called on the government to pour more effort towards upgrading these schools.

Positive policy

In the meantime, Zin also expounded on the compulsory 10 percent quota project allocation for class F contractors and felt that the policy is a positive one.

Zin when asked to comment on MCA’s call for the 10 percent quota to be abolished and for the tender process to be open, said that he had explained to MCA leaders and claimed that everything is in its right place.

"I told them that the 10 percent quota is a positive policy as class F contractors recognised by the Central Industrial Development Board (CIDB) will be given a fare share of the pie," he said.

Asked how the allocation will be even out between 17,000 CIDB registered class F contractors, Zin said: "Insyallah all will share the fruits."

He then said MCA leaders have now supported and lauded the idea as a fair policy and should be implemented.

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