THE Federal Government should release school maintenance allocations announced under Budget 2027 early next year to give school administrators sufficient time to complete repair works, particularly in Sabah.
Nominated assemblyman Datuk Chin Shu Ying said the measure was vital as many schools in the State continued to face ageing infrastructure and inadequate facilities requiring repairs, improvements and upgrades.
He proposed that applications for maintenance grants be processed in the first quarter of each year, with approved allocations released by the second quarter.
“I welcome the increase in national school repair and maintenance allocations from RM1 billion to RM2 billion, including RM100 million for national-type Chinese primary schools, and also the nearly RM1.3 billion allocation to upgrade 682 dilapidated schools, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak.
“However, the timing of fund disbursement remains a longstanding administrative problem that could affect the implementation of essential maintenance works.
“In many cases, schools receive approval or funding only during the second half of the year, leaving insufficient time to complete the necessary works before the financial year ends,” Chin said.
Commenting on the recent tabling of Budget 2027, he said earlier disbursement would allow school boards and administrators to plan projects, undertake procurement and complete maintenance works more effectively.
He reiterated that timely funding was particularly important for schools in Sabah, many of which continued to face deteriorating buildings, inadequate facilities and urgent repair needs.
Chin also called on the Government to consider special assistance for non-profit private kindergartens facing rising operating costs and potential declines in enrolment due to changes in Primary One admission policies.
He said these institutions had made significant contributions to early childhood education and deserved greater recognition and support.
“Targeted assistance for these non-profit private kindergartens would help ease their financial pressures and enable them to continue providing early childhood education services to local communities,” he said.
On healthcare, Chin said Sabah must receive a fair share of additional healthcare personnel to address staffing shortages and improve access to medical services, particularly at major government hospitals.
Welcoming the increase in the Health Ministry’s allocation to RM47.7 billion and the proposal to offer permanent appointments to more than 9,000 contract doctors in 2027, he said the shortage of healthcare personnel remained a major concern in the State.
He cited Queen Elizabeth Hospital II, which he had previously highlighted in the Sabah State Legislative Assembly as facing staffing constraints that had limited its ability to operate all its approved beds.
Chin urged the Health Ministry to ensure Sabah received an appropriate share of additional medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, specialists and allied health professionals.
He also called for adequate funding and staffing provisions for the planned Sabah Heart Centre at Queen Elizabeth Hospital II and the PET-scan facility at Likas Hospital.
“Both projects must be completed according to schedule to strengthen specialist healthcare services and reduce the need for Sabah patients to seek treatment outside the State.
“Healthcare development should not be measured only by the number of new buildings or medical equipment purchased, but also by whether patients can obtain timely, affordable and quality treatment,” Chin said.
He said addressing staffing shortages alongside infrastructure development was essential to ensuring healthcare investments translated into better access to treatment and improved services for Sabahans.
On the cost of living, Chin welcomed continued financial assistance for lower-income households through the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) programmes, as well as the proposed increase in personal income tax relief.
He also welcomed the planned increase in the minimum wage from RM1,700 to RM2,000 in June 2027, describing it as an important measure to improve workers’ incomes.
“However, wage increases and financial assistance must be accompanied by measures and policies to improve productivity, control living costs and support businesses. This is particularly important in Sabah, where transportation and logistics costs could contribute to higher prices for essential goods,” he said.
Chin said small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could also face higher operating costs following the minimum wage increase.
He urged the Government to provide adequate financing, productivity assistance, skills training and business support to help SMEs adapt to the changes.
He added that Sabah needed greater opportunities to develop higher-value industries, attract investment and create better-paying jobs for young people.
“Our young Sabahans should not have to leave their home state simply because suitable employment opportunities are unavailable,” he said.
