Ching Yong standing outside the pre-kindergarten building at SK Sungai Menyan, which was still not demolished yet even though it was already classified as a “dangerous building” by JKR many years ago. – Photos via WhatsApp/Wong Ching Yong
SIBU (Aug 16): Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) deputy chairman Wong Ching Yong was nearly barred from visiting SK Sungai Menyan in the constituency on Saturday.
Ching Yong, who is also SUPP Dudong branch chairman, related how he and his team were refused entry by the security guard, acting on the instruction from the headmaster.
He revealed that the headmaster when contacted explained that the instruction came from the Sibu Education Department.
“After explaining to the security guards, the team was only allowed to visit the school compound,” Chin Yong said in a statement yesterday.
He was accompanied by two potential candidates for Lanang parliamentary constituency, Dr Wong Chya Wei and councillor Raymond Tiong.
Ching Yong recalled during his visit in November 2020, SK Sungai Menyan had the worst infrastructural problems compared to other SKs (national type primary schools).
He said its pre-kindergarten building was classified by Public Works Department (JKR) as a “dangerous building” and was cordoned off, and all the roofs of the school buildings were so rusty with holes.
“The wooden building used by Primary 4, 5 and 6 students were severely infested and damaged by termites.
“During the visit, the team noted that there was evidence that the Ministry of Education had provided funds to SK Sungai Menyan to repair wooden buildings. Roofs of certain school buildings were replaced with new ones. There was also a major renovation of the wooden building used by Primary 4, 5 and 6 students.
“Regrettably, that pre-kindergarten building was still not demolished yet even though it was already classified as a ‘dangerous building’ by JKR many years ago.
“Upon close examination and comparing it with the conditions in November 2020, the degree of the tilt of the pre-kindergarten building had leaned even further to a nearby toilet, which is used by the students,” he said.
Earlier on the same day, Ching Yong and his team visited SK Sungai Durin.
He noted this school is the biggest SK in Dudong constituency with a student population of 240 from approximately 20 nearby longhouses.
Ching Yong related on Nov 19 last year, when he visited SK Sungai Durin, its infrastructural conditions shocked all the visitors from SUPP Dudong branch.
He recalled the dining hall was dilapidated and its ceiling and walls were badly infested by termites.
The roof was so rusty that even in a normal rainfall, rainwater would drip through the ceiling and students found it very uncomfortable to have meals in the dining hall, he said.
Furthermore, the wooden dining tables were shaky due to wear and tear, he added, while the plastic chairs were fragile and were long overdue for replacements.
“Regrettably, since our last visit in November 2020, the school had not received any funding from the Ministry of Education even though I wrote several letters to the relevant authorities.
“The dining hall is still as dilapidated as it was when I visited SK Sungai Durin in November 2020,” he lamented.
The team then visited the boys hostel.
The members of SUPP Dudong branch were really stunned by the further deterioration of the infrastructure of the boys hostel, where there were many big holes on the wooden floor which were infested by termites, Ching Yong said.
“Walking on the floor one could hear squeaky sound which was an evidence of serious termite infestation.
“As such, the headmaster, Sumbang Unjong, had to limit the number of visitors entering the boys hostel fearing that the wooden floor, which appeared to be sagging, could not support the weight and may collapse,” he recalled.
Sumbang informed Ching Yong that he was very happy to hear that after Ching Yong’s visit in November 2020, some SKs in Dudong constituency had received funds to repair their wooden school buildings.
In this respect, Sumbang was hopeful that as the biggest SK in Dudong constituency, the Ministry of Education would provide funding to his school to do all the urgent repairs to the wooden school buildings, considering that the safety of the students and teachers are at risk.