TONGOD: The newly-completed additional building of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Mananam Comprehensive 9 (K9), which was completed on Oct 27, was officially handed over to the school by the contractor through the Ministry of Education and the Sabah Education Department, recently.
The handover was officiated by the Senior Deputy Secretary of Division, Development Branch, Development Division of the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MoE), Khairuddin Bakar.
“This project that we are officially handing over is part of the Madani Government’s efforts through the Ministry of Education Malaysia to address facilities and infrastructure issues in rural and interior areas, particularly in Sabah,” Khairuddin said in his speech.
Construction of the project was placed under the responsibility of the Sabah Zone and Federal Territory of Labuan Office of the MoE beginning Jan 3, 2023, at a cost of RM16.2 million.
He said the project was implemented using the Conventional Consultant method, with Minat Harapan Enterprise appointed as the contractor, and the contractual completion date was Oct 27, 2025.
The replacement block was built on the original school site covering an area of 1.942 hectares or 4.80 acres, with key components including six classrooms, a hostel for 120 students, a dining hall for 240 students, six units of teachers’ quarters, laboratories and workshops for the Basic Vocational Education Programme (KH/PAV), to expand the K9 school in the district.
He explained that the construction of the building was highly important and urgently needed, as the original school buildings were insufficient to accommodate a Comprehensive 9 school and previously did not have hostel facilities.
This development has certainly fulfilled the aspirations of the Ministry of Education Malaysia in providing a more conducive and comfortable teaching and learning ecosystem for teachers and students of SK Mananam, which accommodates preschool, primary and lower secondary students up to Form Three (Comprehensive 9).
He also expressed hope that all parties would take good care of the infrastructure facilities and make the school a centre of knowledge for the development of students’ thinking and character, as well as a centre of unity.
“Most importantly, it will make this school a centre that can ultimately produce an excellent generation that is knowledgeable and of noble character,” he said.
SK Mananam (K9), Tongod, is the first Comprehensive 9 (K9) School in Sabah developed to provide continuous access to basic education from Year One to Form Three within a single institution.
Earlier, in his speech, Indang said the implementation of the K9 school supports the educational needs of rural and interior areas and aims to reduce student dropout rates.
He said the school’s development also adopts a design that is conducive, practical and easy to maintain, to ensure a comfortable, safe learning environment that supports holistic student development.
K9 schools are developed based on the concept of nine (9) years of continuous basic education, starting from Year One to Form Three, with the support of both primary and secondary school teachers on the same campus.
In line with the needs of rural and interior areas, SK Mananam is also equipped with hostel facilities to assist students who live far from the school, thereby supporting educational continuity and reducing dropout rates.
The project directly benefits 165 existing K9 students and 835 students from four feeder schools involving eight villages around the Telupid area.
During a press conference, Khairuddin added that, beyond serving as a Comprehensive 9 school, he hoped parents would continue sending their children to Form Four after completing their studies at the school, so that they would not drop out of education later.
He also said the building is capable of functioning as a temporary evacuation centre in the event of disasters such as floods and other emergencies.
Meanwhile, the Village Head of Menanam, Molis Rungkaki, parents and students expressed happiness over the construction of the building, which provides facilities for the surrounding community, especially students, without the need to travel far to attend school.
Also present were Deputy Director of the Planning and District Office Management Sector, Sabah State Education Department, Indang Kasi Sibin, representing the State Education Director Datuk Raisin Saidin; Telupid/Tongod District Education Officer, Albert Andau Paulus Andau; Senior Assistant Director, Planning and Management Sector, Sabah Education Department, Zulkifli Mohd Ishak; Headmaster of SK Mananam Comprehensive 9 (K9), Charles Pindah; Sabah and Labuan Zone Head, Development Branch of the MoE Development Division, Suraini Mohd Talip; and a representative of the project contractor, Minat Harapan Enterprise.