When I was posted as the Resident of Bintulu in 1999, the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis effect had not 'taken off' the ground. In fact it was still deep rooting parallysing the State and National economy. With the Government coffer being heavily used to withold the Ringgit Value, nothing much was left to build the nation. I was in fact very sadden to be transfered, despite the monetary return of my posting, leaving MyOld Office, a place where at that point in time I would believe was the best for me to crack my head to assist the Government to come with better solution in moving our economy back on track.
(2) Nonetheless, due to the advice of some senior State Civil servant, I seem to have no choice, but to pack and move. My arrival was in fact without the notice of anybody. I just drove my Proton Iswara all the way from Kuching with a supplies of two week clothings. After a simple taking over ceremony with the then Dr. Abdillah Aton, who was the out going Resident, on that very first day and the following afternoon to the evening I roamed almost all the Malay Kampung nearby. I was really sadden to see how on earth all these Villages, despite are just under the nose of the various Government Offices were sort of totally 'neglected'.
(3) Later, officially, I began to visit and 'quarel' with the Temenggong, Pemanca, Penghulu, and Ketua Kampung on what have they been doing to really serve their people. There are instances, that I even asked them to leave if the really have no interest or willing to sacrifice to serve their people. I did changed and or forced some to leave! That make, to some, calling me a 'Cowboy Resident'.
(4) What really shocking me was at that point in time, the Malays and the other Native kids didn't perfom well in school. Social problems began to bread fast among them: Pondan syndrome, drugs, school absentism, all sort 'rival young characters'. I wonder what went wrong. Starting with the Kindergarten or Nurseries, accept those run by the Chinese, those either run by KEMAS, SEDC, NGOs, all are in a very dire state. Leaking roof, crowded classrooms, no playground facilities, insufficient Resource Center, low paid teachers, squating either in Balairaya and or Surau and Masjid, were the main features of this Early Education facilities. With such scenario, I could see, these kids won't be able to see their Long Term Future. Though Mahathir's Potreit hanged pround in the class, they don't see his Vision! Our kids start being educated on the wrong-bad premises!
(5) Same goes to the Primary and Secondary schools. Bintulu seem not ready to recieve the influx of outsider into the booming City. Some schools are just not comfortable for teaching. Classroom are lacking. Boarding facilities are really bad. The school physical and environmental capacities were very lacking.
(6) The teachers don't even have proper quarters to stay. They have to rent lousy affordable housing in the Kampung which psychologically not quiet correct for them. When I really analyse the Education Environment in Bintulu at that time, I seem to see that we were as if still in the 1960s. I really feel sorry to see how bad things were on the ground. Our Social Development Agenda seem slacking badly behind our push for Economic Development.
(7) I wrote lots of papers and letters to highlight all these facts and issues to the various level of the Education Administration System at the District, Divisional, State and Ministrial level on these. I was willing to be very unpopular. I hit many people, I don't mind, for the sack of our future generation. Thanks god, before I left in 2001, lots of initiatives began to start of.
(9) With the help of the State Development office, I managed to 'cheat' the Government to used the Minor Rural Project (MRP) Fund into building Resource Centers all over the Place. In fact, all these Resource Centers were kindergarten, which if classified that way, I wouldn't be allowed to use MRP fund for building Kindies. Well, that is basic, that is what we have to do to impart greater Social Development Impact to our people, thus I made a stand that I have to be creative to meneauver within the system. We must have the courage to stand for the right thing first!
(10) Muhhydin and Najib must see and work hard to ensure our Education System and Environment could really bring our people to the greater height. Our intend shouldn't only to educated them but, let Plan and move them to where they should be in this Globalised World. We can't just be 'Jaguh Kampung' or 'Katak di Bawah Tempurung'. I could see today, the kids that we produce in the local Univestity are merely 'anak-anak ayam' which are not worth to be 'slaughtered'. They are not ready to fight out there. That the reason, why they need to be retrain through the various programmes that we need to organised for them. In fact we have been such stupid not being able to see all these weaknesses professionally and politically. We are wasting our money and time in producing masses of uncooked products! Our universities are producing the 'blind, the deaf'!
(11) Malaysia in fact can be a great Education Hub for the Chinese, Arab, Indonesia, and even South Pacific Island states. Our English, our Malay-Muslim, our Indian-Chinese population mixed, and our affordable infrastuctures should be of great asset for us to lure the Chinese, the Ibdian, the Arabs, the Indonesian, all those nations surrounding us to study and being educated here. Did we see this right, or are we too blind to realise as such.
(12) I would say, people in UMNO, MCA, MIC, and even PBB, SUPP, PRS, SPDP should be able to see all these, and let seriously work toward giving the best affordable education and skill development to our people and let turn Sarawak/Malaysia into Pacific Hub of Education Excellent! We must work in building the Nation not building ourselve. Let take a break and do real professional thing. Can we? Why not? Unles you are blind: 'sight, brain and heart'!
Kuching, Sarawak
17 March, 2010
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