Sarawak gets federal nod for new tertiary education facility, RM150 million approved for project

The federal government has given Sarawak the greenlight to begin the implementation of the proposed matriculation centre project – the first of its kind in the state – in Sematan, near Lundu.

According to Natural Resources and Environment Minister Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, the project site has been identified, which is an area of over 60 acres on a state land.

“The federal government has approved RM150 million to build the matriculation centre. I was told by the Minister of Education that RM20 million had been approved for site clearing works, which are expected to begin in 2018. The matriculation centre is very important for the state because Sarawakians would no longer have to do their matriculation in Labuan,” he told reporters during a press conference at Wisma STA here yesterday.

Wan Junaidi, who is Santubong MP, said the initial plan was to build the centre in Matang area but former chief minister the late Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem requested that it should be built in Tanjung Datu because he (Adenan) wanted the area to become an educational hub. As such, there was a slight delay in the implementation of the project, said Wan Junaidi.

“Now that the state government has approved a state land in Sematan to be used for the development of the project, we can begin with the implementation.The cost remains the same – RM150 million,” he said, adding that another key project to be implemented in Lundu would be the new hospital.

For this, Wan Junaidi said a site had also been identified, which would be on a land that currently belongs to the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), under the Ministry of Transportation.

“Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg has agreed in principle to build a new hospital in Lundu.

“I have personally called the Minister of Transportation Datuk Seri Dr Liow Tiong Lai regarding the matter and he has no objection for us to use the DCA land (for the hospital project),” he said.

However, Wan Junaidi said he was still not sure of the project details, including cost, as the project is under the purview of the Ministry of Health.

He said he would only help coordinate the search and identification of the proposed site, in view of Lundu being within his Santubong constituency.

“The mechanism regarding the implementation of the project will be discussed later,” he added.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by Rintos Mail

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