Why a state education ministry when Putrajaya calls the shots, asks PBS

A state opposition leader says it is meaningless for Sabah to have its own ministry on education when Putrajaya controls the state education department. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: Opposition party PBS has questioned the need for Sabah to have its own state education ministry, saying it has no power over the Sabah Education Department which comes under the federal Ministry of Education.

The state’s Education and Innovation Ministry is one of three new ministries announced by Chief Minister Shafie Apdal. The other two are the Health and People’s Wellbeing Ministry, and the Law and Native Affairs Ministry.

But PBS Youth chief Christopher Mandut said the new education portfolio has no power to draw up the curriculum for Sabah schools.

“The three new ministries are redundant ministries,” he told FMT.

“Education should be Sabah’s main agenda. There are many rural schools in need of repair but the responsibility falls on the federal education ministry,” he said.

He said the Sabah Education Department does not answer to the state ministry.

Christopher Mandut.

“The state ministry is in name only,” he said, adding that it was naïve of the Warisan-led state government to think it can take care of education in Sabah.

He said Sabah would need at least RM4 billion a year to run a full-fledged education ministry.

“If they think they can get the money from Putrajaya, they are delusional. What’s the point of a state ministry taking over from a federal ministry when the money still comes from the federal government?” he said.

Mandut said while it is important for Sabah to take charge of its schools, the state should not be hasty by creating a ministry without the budget.

He said with money, Sabah could set its own education agenda and reforms as promised by Shafie.

“If Sabah has the money, the federal government would be glad to relieve itself of the responsibility to maintain schools in Sabah and to pay for school teachers here,” he said.

But Mandut said Shafie has no courage to demand for such powers.

“Eventually, the state education ministry will just be a white elephant. The name of the ministry is grand but without any bite,” he said. -FMT