Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

October 30, 2021

No Mention of Appropriation for Some Schools in Budget 2022—

Speedier Disclosure of Appropriation Details to Disambiguate Urged

In response to Budget 2022 submitted by the Minister of Finance Tengku Zafrul Aziz on 29 October regarding budget on education in the House of Representatives, Dong Zong and Jiao Zong herewith distinctively posit themselves in this joint statement:

1. To begin with, Dong Jiao Zong had proposed to the government in regard to Budget 2022 of the federal government on 7 October this year subsuming the following seven suggestions:

• To equally treat government and non-government schools on the release of appropriation sum;
• To provide appropriation for Independent Chinese Secondary Schools;
• To provide appropriation for three privately-run higher education institutions;
• To redress inadequate treatment by unifying the subsidy for electric and water bills, sewage and telephone bills for government and non-government schools alike;
• To establish anti COVID-19 special fund for all schools for the prevention of COVID-19 pandemic;
• To increase appropriation to enhance the use of Information and Communications Technology in education in bid to all-inclusively boost teaching effect; and
• To waiver taxation from non-profit private organisations and education institutions as well as contribution for Human Resource Development Fund.

Yet to our disappointment, all the proposals above were not taken seriously or adapted in Budget 2022. 

2.  In both Budget 2021 and 2022, the total sum of appropriation released to the Ministry of Education increases from RM50 billion 358.49 million to RM52 billion 625.06 million; in which the development appropriation surges to a new high of RM5 billion 34.13 million from RM3 billion 87.55 million with an increase of RM1 billion 946.58 million or accounts for 63 percent (Table 1). This evidently shows that the government is determined to appropriate heavily for school development or hardware construction, in particular to assist schools in dilapidation and disrepair which is creditable. But we think the fund needs to be fairly appropriated to all streams of schools with transparent disclosure of benefited schools, total sum and projects, etc.

3. Notwithstanding the education development appropriation increases tremendously in Budget 2022, there is no mention of whether appropriation will continuously be released to Catholic, national-type, independent Chinese secondary schools and the three privately-run higher institutions (Southern University College, New Era University College and Han Chiang University College of Communication), including the appropriation for newly constructed and relocated vernacular Chinese primary schools (Table 2 and 3). Moreover, there is likewise no mention of whether RM5,000 will be granted to government-aided schools monthly. We understand that in the annual Budget, no listing or mention of appropriation for some schools is not the first time ever and has since generated disputes. Dong Jiao Zong believes, doubts on the above need to be clarified and explained as well as including appropriation for schools or education institutions of this category in the yearly Budget. In addition, we also hope that the government will unfold and decode the whereabouts of the total sum of RM20 million intended for the construction and relocation of vernacular primary Chinese schools, along with its progress and expenses or whether it has been cancelled eventually in Budget 2020.

4.  In Budget 2022, RM120 million is released to vernacular Chinese and Tamil primary schools which is RM15.95 million more in comparison to RM104.05 million released in Budget 2021. In retrospect, in Budget 2018, 2019 and 2020, some of the vernacular Chinese and Tamil primary schools had received RM120 million in total, namely, RM50 million for school maintenance and development given to both Chinese and Tamil primary schools and RM20 million released to Chinese primary schools for school construction and relocation. Obviously, there is no mention of appropriation for school construction and relocation given to Chinese primary schools in both Budget 2021 and 2022. We believe, the government is obliged to include this construction appropriation in the annual Budget to ensure sufficient fund for these schools to complete their construction project sooner.

5. Despite the above, we welcome the section in Budget 2022 which is beneficial to B40 student group where school opening subsidy is increased to RM150 for each student, and RM2,500 tax exemption for parents who purchased computer for internet use as well as RM100 allowance for each teacher.

6. Regarding the slow execution and unfair treatment towards the distribution of laptops to 150 thousand students from 500 schools nationwide where RM150 million was appropriated in Budget 2021, the government needs to take it as a lesson and make improvements. In similar vein, the government needs to ensure that the project which distributes ipads to 600 thousand college students of B40 family category which costs RM450 million assigned in Budget 2022 will be executed in a transparent, fast, noncorrupt and effective manner. Moreover, the laptops should be suitable and safe and not in poor quality, let alone distributing them fairly to needy students regardless of their ethnic group.

Table 1: Appropriation in RM for the Ministry of Education in Budget 2021 and 2022

Table 2: Development Appropriation in RM for All types of Schools in Budget 2012 and 2022

Note：

• In Budget 2012 and 2013, school development, promotion and maintenance fund were established, RM100 million was released to all vernacular Chinese primary schools nationwide. The RM50 million appropriation for vernacular Chinese primary categorised as ‘half subsidy schools’ was for the purpose of school maintenance and promotion; whereas, in Budget 2021 and 2022, the school maintenance and promotion appropriation were released to all vernacular Chinese primary schools.
• RM800 million was released to the MOE for the purpose of school maintenance and promotion in Budget 2021; in which, RM620 million was intended for schools under the administration of MOE for maintenance and promotion purposes, that is, RM478.68 million (477.48 million +1.2 million) for national primary (n=5624+18) and national-type secondary, full boarding schools as well as vocational college (n=2,070+4); RM74.07 million for 1,300 vernacular Chinese primary schools nationwide (416 full subsidy schools received RM25.82 million, 884 half subsidy schools received RM48.25 million); RM29.98 million for vernacular Tamil primary schools (n=162+365); RM4.11 million for national-type secondary (n=9+65); RM20.94 million for Catholic schools (n=12+370); RM12.23 million for government-aided religious schools (n=224).
• On 26 November and 3 December 2020, the Minister of Finance Tengku Zafrul Aziz disclosed in the parliament that through subsection B11 in Budget 2020, an extra RM100 million is released to the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia for three types of religious schools (Sekolah Tahfiz, Sekolah Pondok Berdaftar and Sekolah Agama Rakyat). On 11 October 2021, the Minister of Finance claimed that RM100 million had been successfully released to four types of religious schools rather, meaning, ‘Sekolah Agama Persendirian’ was later included for appropriation.
• On 22 December 2020, the Minister of Finance Tengku Zafrul Aziz revealed in the parliament that there was no appropriation to be released to independent Chinese secondary schools (ICSS) nationwide in Budget 2021. Despite not listed in Budget 2021, RM15 million was released to all independent Chinese secondary schools and Kuantan Chong Hwa High School in September 2021 subsequently.
• Besides appropriation released in Budget 2018, the Patakan Harapan government also appropriated an extra RM20 million for school construction and relocation for vernacular Chinese primary schools. In Budget 2019 and 2020, a yearly appropriation of RM20 million was granted to vernacular Chinese primary schools for school construction and relocation; moreover, beneficiary schools and the total sum were publicly disclosed in both Budget 2018 and 2019. Yet in Budget 2021 submitted by the Perikatan Nasional government, there was no appropriation for school construction and relocation for vernacular Chinese primary schools. In addition, the pronounced appropriation for school construction and promotion for vernacular Chinese primary in Budget 2020 has not been received and no details updated thus far.
• Apart from enjoying regular yearly electric and water bills appropriation, in Budget 2020, an extra RM12 million was releasable to half subsidy schools, including vernacular Chinese primary and national-type secondary for electric and water bills as well as sewage bills upon application.
• On 29 October 2021, the Minister of Finance Tengku Zafrul Aziz submitted Budget 2022 in the House of Representatives and announced that RM1 billion is appropriated for the purpose of school maintenance and promotion; in which, RM40 million is appropriated to the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia for Sekolah Tahfiz, Sekolah Pondok Berdaftar and Sekolah Agama Rakyat for renovation; RM120 million for all vernacular Chinese and Tamil primary schools ; RM746 million for renovation released to schools in east Malaysia—112 projects to be undertaken in Sabah and 165 in Sarawak respectively.

Table 3: Appropriation for Three Privately-run Higher Education Institutions