Premier: SK Rakyat Tupong to get new school block, sporting facility worth over RM10 mln

KUCHING (Oct 30): SK Rakyat Tupong will be getting a new school block and sporting facility costing more than RM10 million, said Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He said the construction project, to be funded by the Sarawak government, will commence sometime next year.

“The pupils need better space for a conducive learning environment. Therefore it was suggested to build a new block for them which is estimated at RM8 million. It will also comprise pre-school classes and a resource centre. And they also need a place for sports activities.

“As such, the total cost will be more than RM10 million,” he said at the school’s 75th anniversary celebrations today.

He also said there are plans for the sporting facility to be turned into a stadium with landscaping to turn the place into a visitors’ attraction to the area.

In conjunction with the school’s 75th anniversary, he also announced RM75,000 to the school’s alumni association.

According to Abang Johari, SK Rakyat Tupong and its ‘sibling’ SK Rakyat Jalan Haji Bolhassan had played a vital role in providing education particularly to the Malay community in Kuching.

He said the school had produced many who went on to contribute to the society, state and country, and he cited the Sarawak Attorney-General Dato Sri Saferi Ali as one of the school’s alumni members.

“This school has contributed so much, not just in terms of providing education, but also developing our human resources,” he added.

On a related note, Abang Johari said he as the Premier will continue to prioritise the development of Sarawak as a whole while pursuing increased revenue for Sarawak,

“Sarawak has indeed become a high income status but (many of) its people have not achieved that. What I am doing is to develop Sarawak in terms of its infrastructure such as roads and bridges.

“All these are funded by Sarawak, we cannot solely depend on Putrajaya only,” he added.

Also present were Chief Political secretary to the Premier and Tupong assemblyman Dato Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman and SK Rakyat Tupong alumni chairman Awang Hambali Awang Hamdan.