WHY 'ONE TO ONE' FORMULA IS STILL USED?

THE RECENT case highlighted by the Kota Kinabalu Member of Parliament Hiew King Cheu on the Ranau SJK (C) Pai Wen who was given a grant based on a 'One Ringgit to One Ringgit' system as a government grant to help the school development projects had received much attention and created a ‘talk of the town’ especially in the Ranau District.

The KK MP Hiew is also a person who had worked many years with the development of schools in Kota Kinabalu and the positions he had held were from School Board Members, Building Committee Chairman, Alumni Presidents, and Parent Teacher Association Chairmanship etc..

He served for a good many years in the various Kindergarten, primary schools, and secondary school. He said the granting formula of ‘One Ringgit To One Ringgit' was cut many years ago by the government. The records on the announcement still can be traced.

Many schools that needed the grant and allocation from the government to continue their expansion projects had suffered, and they were told to source for their own fund to continue their projects. Even though some schools had achieved to raise money through fund raising events like dinners and bazaars, their developments were delayed due to lack of fund.

It came as a big surprise that the Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman actually announced on the spot on 21st November 2010 in a fund raising dinner held by the school where the Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun was the organizing chairman, that a state government grant based on the 'One to One' formula and equivalent to RM200,000 was made to the school hall building fund. A mop cheque was handed over to the school during the ceremony.

The point is, why CM announced a grant that is based on the ‘Phased Out Formula’ which is no longer used by the government? Many Ranau people were present at the dinner heard the good news that a grant was approved and announced on the spot. Why this was never made payable immediately, and the school had to seek advice on how to apply for it?

This took them 14 months to process the grant application, and still have to wait until May this year to receive the money, (if there is any). In fact the said grant should be called as the 'Spot-Grant' which does not need any application procedure. There were many such 'Spot-Grants' made available and paid immediately to schools on many occasions.

The school is really in need of fund, and we can see this in their CNY visiting leaflets requesting for sponsors to donate for the required sum of RM400,000 to complete the hall. The donor’s name will be used to name the hall if the donor can donate the RM400,000 or more.

The school hall account balance sheet was also attached. We must thank the contractor for coming up with his own money (RM500,000) to complete the construction of the hall, and claim later when the school has the money.

He must be complimented. Even thought the contractor can come up with his money first, he still has to be paid anyway. We suggest CM Musa to come up from his own pocket the RM500,000 to help the school.

- Sabahkini