KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 13 — A DAP MP today questioned why RM247 million of the Education Ministry’s RM52.6 billion allocation under Budget 2022 was set aside for upgrading work to the ministry’s building and offices.

Rasah MP Cha Kee Chin argued that the amount for the ministry’s building was excessive and could be put to better use.

"Just that I want to refer to matter 07000, regarding the Education Ministry’s building and offices. On this, I must apologise to the senior minister. I do not agree that RM247 million, which is almost 5 per cent of the total development allocation, should be used for the Education Ministry’s building and offices.

"RM247 million… Under Budget 2021, it was RM238 million. Combined for two years and it is almost half a billion (ringgit). What are we going to do with the ministry’s offices? Are they that bad?

"If we use the half a billion, I feel we can build at least 50 schools, including schools in rural areas especially. So I seek an explanation from the senior minister on this matter,” Cha said in his speech, debating the Budget 2022 allocation for the Education Ministry.

In his winding-up speech later, Senior Education Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin explained that the amount is to pay the rent of buildings leased by the ministry.

"Therefore, allow me to explain here that the RM220 million in this context is for the rental of Education Ministry buildings. RM90.2 million via PPP, PFI and likewise, the concession agreement for teachers’ housing privatisation project, phase one, that is about RM136.8 million.

"So that is the amount mentioned by the honourable member. Not for us to use, but for building rental and this matter has been going on for a while,” Radzi added.

On October 29, Putrajaya tabled a RM332.1 billion Budget for 2022, that focused on recovery, building resilience and stimulating growth in a country badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The biggest allocation went towards education with the Education Ministry receiving RM52.6 billion and its Higher Education counterpart RM14.5 billion, as millions of students in Malaysia saw their normal schooling disrupted since early 2020.

This was followed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) with RM32.4 billion with a further RM2 billion for vaccine strengthening as well as RM4 billion for enhancing the public health for Covid-19, after the sector almost buckled under the pressure of a spike in pandemic-related hospitalisations at the start of the year.