Resolve school funding issue, says Wee

KUALA LUMPUR: Even though Budget 2016 has been tabled, RM800mil allocated to primary schools in Budget 2015 to improve their facilities has yet to be disbursed due to a dispute between the Education and Finance ministries.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic) said the Finance Ministry claimed it had passed the funds to the Education Ministry.

“However, the Education Ministry said it has yet to receive the funds,” he said, adding that the matter had been raised with the Cabinet.

“This allocation was promised by the Prime Minister. No one has the right to deny it,” Dr Wee told reporters after attending the Malaysia’s Economic Outlook Seminar at MCA headquarters here yesterday.

He urged the public not to “jump to conclusions” by presuming that schools would not receive the funds or that the promised amount of RM800mil would be reduced.

The allocation, said Dr Wee, was not only for Chinese primary schools but also Tamil primary schools, religious schools, sekolah pondok, boarding schools and others.

“We hope both ministries could resolve the matter soon as schools need the funds to start refurbishment during the holidays,” he said.

Asked about the decrease in allocation for vernacular schools in Budget 2016, from RM800mil to RM500mil next year, Dr Wee said government revenue from the oil and gas industry had dropped from over RM60bil to just RM39bil this year, forcing budget cuts across the ministries.

Earlier during the seminar, Dr Wee, who is MCA deputy president, and vice-president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said the party would not be advocates for 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

“MCA’s stance is that we want a clear and transparent investigation into the claims on 1MDB,” said Chew.

The issue of 1MDB was on the agenda of the seminar, with the presence of the fund’s president and group executive director Arul Kanda Kandasamy at a question-and-answer session with MCA members. The session was closed to the media.

Chew urged members not to misunderstand the purpose of having a session with Arul Kanda.

“We are not asking our divisions to explain 1MDB to the people. MCA is not 1MDB’s mouthpiece. We are the people’s mouthpiece,” she said.

Dr Wee agreed, saying that there were no restrictions to the questions being asked.

“When we are facing such an issue, we should not run away. We should face it, solve it and let it go,” he added.

During his opening speech, Dr Wee reiterated Malaysia’s strong economic fundamentals and reduced dependence on oil revenue, from 41.3% in 2009 to 31% in 2014.

“Under the 11th Malaysia Plan, our target is to reduce the dependence to just 15.5% in 2020,” he said.