Kota Kinabalu: Likas assemblyman Tham Yun Fook has welcomed the Education Ministry’s swift move to relocate pupils from SK Balaban Jaya in Beluran to SK Pekan Beluran, but raised concerns over the handling of the situation.
The ministry had announced that transportation costs for affected students would be fully covered.
However, Tham questioned whether prior engagement sessions with the school and parents had led to conditions where students were forced to study in unsuitable environments, including mosque corridors exposed to rain and tents without proper shelter.
“If this was the outcome of the engagement sessions, it reflects a serious failure in planning, implementation and follow-up. Our children deserve a safe, comfortable and dignified learning environment,” he said.
He stressed that the priority now should be the swift execution of the relocation decision rather than assigning blame.
Tham also criticised the ministry’s centralised policy approach, noting that state education departments no longer prepare their own strategic plans but rely on federal-level frameworks.
He said such an approach does not reflect differing realities between states, particularly Sabah, which faces more severe infrastructure challenges compared to urban areas like Kuala Lumpur.
“What is happening in this case highlights the weakness of a centralised approach that does not take into account local conditions. State education departments should be given the flexibility to develop strategies that suit their own needs,” he added.
