KOTA KINABALU: A total of 245 out of 416 dilapidated schools identified for full replacement in Sabah have been completed, said Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek.
She said the remaining projects were at various stages of implementation, with 63 schools currently under construction.
“The progress is very good. Some have been completed and some are under implementation,” she told reporters after the handover ceremony for SM Sains Sabah (Smesh) and SK Buit Hill at Bukit Padang here on Friday.
Fadhlina said the Education Ministry would continue efforts to address dilapidated schools as quickly as possible to provide safer and more conducive learning facilities for Sabah students.
She said discussions were also ongoing on other education infrastructure needs, including school repairs, hostels, teachers’ quarters and other facilities.
Sabah Public Works Department (PWD) Deputy Director Mariah Marcus said the department’s Special Projects Team 2 was overseeing 167 Education Ministry projects in Sabah worth RM5.19 billion.
She said the Sabah projects were part of 1,947 Education Ministry projects nationwide worth RM35.23 billion being handled by PWD.
The two school projects handed over have a combined cost of about RM118.5 million and benefit 991 pupils.
The RM33.46 million SK Buit Hill replacement project in Penampang benefits 447 pupils. The school, which had operated at its original site since 1935, was classified as a dilapidated Scale 7 school in 2020.
Fadhlina described the rebuilding as a “total transformation” and hoped the improved facilities would help pupils achieve better results.
The ceremony also saw the partial handover of the RM85.05 million Smesh replacement project at Bukit Padang, which benefits 544 pupils.
Smesh operated at Bukit Padang from 1984 until its original building was declared unsafe in 2014. The school was temporarily relocated to the former Institute of Teacher Education (IPG) Kent Campus in Tuaran in 2016.
Mariah said the Smesh project had reached 99.07 per cent completion, with the contract scheduled to be completed on Nov 10.
She said the partial handover would allow Smesh to begin operating at its new premises while the remaining works were completed, enabling students to return to Bukit Padang.
Fadhlina said the new Smesh would provide a conducive environment for students to excel in academics, sports, arts and character development.
She also thanked PWD and all parties involved in completing the two projects.
Also present were Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud, and State Community Development and People’s Wellbeing Minister Datuk James Ratib.
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