Chinese medium secondary schools receive RM10 mln annual grant from Sarawak government

Abang Johari (right) presents the RM10 million cheque to Lau. Also seen are Dr Sim (second right) and Wee.
KUCHING (June 20): The Sarawak United Association of Private Chinese Secondary School Management Board (Sha Dong Zong) received an RM10 million grant from the Sarawak government today.
The annual funding is for the 14 Chinese independent secondary schools in the state.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg presented the cheque to association board members here today.
Association chairman Temenggong Dato Vincent Lau Lee Ming pointed out Chinese independent secondary schools have received such grants annually since 2014, when the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem was chief minister.
The initial RM3 million grant increased yearly until five years ago when the association started to receive RM10 million each year.
'Over the past decade, the total cumulative funding has reached RM92 million. This long-term commitment has significantly alleviated the financial burden on school boards and provided a stable foundation for the sustainable development of all 14 Chinese independent secondary schools across Sarawak,' he said.
Lau pointed out that the schools depended very much on public donations as they do not come under the Education Ministry.
He thanked Abang Johari and the Sarawak government for their steadfast support.
'The continued allocation reflects the government's strong recognition of and commitment to the multi-stream education system in Sarawak, and serves as a testament to the enduring contributions and academic achievements of the Chinese independent school sector,' he stressed.
'In Chinese tradition, it is often said: 'To govern the nation well, one must first cultivate talent; and to cultivate talent, education must come first.' The Premier reaffirmed that enhancing the quality of local education remains a central pillar in Sarawak's strategic vision to become a high-income region by 2030.'
Lau noted that the recently announced '2026 Free Higher Education Scheme for Outstanding Students' will also cover Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) candidates, reinforcing the Sarawak government's policy direction of nurturing home-grown talent.
In alignment with the Premier's 'Third Language Policy', he said Chinese independent schools will continue to enhance their trilingual education model of Mandarin, Malay, and English, while actively advancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.
Among those present were Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian and Sha Dong Zong deputy chairman Datuk Richard Wee.

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