Soon Koh backs proposal to relocate Sibu’s low-enrolment Chinese schools to Bumiputera areas

SIBU (Oct 5): Bawang Assan assemblyman Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh has pledged his support should his help be needed in the process of relocating low enrolment Chinese primary schools in his constituency.

Wong, who is also the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) senior vice president, said this in response to the Education, Innovation, and Talent Development deputy minister Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee’s proposal on relocating the under-enrolled Chinese schools in the division to Bumiputera areas.

Dr Annuar, in a previous report, cited SJK(C) Keng Nang, SJK(C) Kai Nang, SJK(C) Chao Su, and SJK(C) Boi Ing as among the schools with low enrolment and had proposed relocating them to Bumiputera areas such as Kemuyang.

Wong deemed this as a good move as Dr Annuar had pointed out that the Chinese schools were growing in popularity among Bumiputera parents and could become a more viable option for Bumiputera pupils.

“To me, this is a very good proposal. The Bumiputera children can go to Chinese primary schools and have the advantage of learning Mandarin, apart from Bahasa Malaysia and English.

“If help is needed, I can initiate the move and convince the schools’ board of management and parents to relocate to avoid the schools from being closed down,” said Wong.

He said such move had been carried out in the 90s to 2010, where he and the late former Sibu MP Datuk Robert Lau had worked together in the relocation process of SJK(C) Chung Sing, SJK(C) Su Lai, SJK(C) Thian Chin and SJK(C) Thian Hua to the urban areas.

Also involved in the initiative was the late Datuk Ting Ong Hua of Soon Hup Group whose assistance had made it possible for the relocation of SJK(C) Thian Chin to the Permai housing area, as well as the late Datuk Teng Chin Hua, a prominent leader of the Heng Hua community, for the relocation of SJK(C) Su Lai to the town centre, he disclosed.

“Maybe Dr Annuar can request somebody at the receiving end to look for lands and funding for the setting up of the schools,” he said when met during a site inspection at Sungai Sadit new ferry point here yesterday.

Chinese primary schools education, he pointed out, plays an important role in laying the foundation for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.

“As pointed out by Dr Annuar, these Chinese primary schools lay great emphasis on STEM subjects and this will be beneficial for the Bumiputera children.

“After completing their primary education, they (Bumiputera pupils) can opt to enter the mainstream national school or the Chinese secondary school. In other words, this arrangement has all the advantages,” he said.