Tackling ‘squatting’ schools in Sabah a priority, says education minister

Senior minister Radzi Jidin says the education ministry will coordinate allocation for Sabah schools based on their capacity, among others. (Bernama pic)

KUDAT: Resolving the issue of “squatting” schools in Sabah is a priority for the education ministry, said Senior Minister for Education Radzi Jidin.

He said that to date, there were 23 schools squatting in other schools in the state, including secondary schools squatting in primary schools.

He said the issue was due to various factors, including the contractor’s failure to complete the construction of these schools in time.

“We want the allocation to be coordinated based on the school capacity, among others,” he told reporters after attending a programme at the Kudat Sports Complex here yesterday.

Citing the example of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Langkon in Kota Marudu, which is squatting in Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Langkon, he said the construction of SMK Langkon had started a few years ago, but due to some issues, its completion was delayed.

He said, during his recent visit to SK Langkon, he also found that the facilities and buildings were in poor condition.

“We hope that the construction work can be resumed in the near future,” he said. - FMT