PADANG TERAP: The Education Ministry believed that the losses incurred on school properties during the second wave of floods could easily reach tens of millions of ringgit.
Its Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said this was based on the estimated damage of RM10 million in the first wave of floods in Kelantan, Terengganu and Sabah last December.
He said he had not received a full report on the damage caused by the second wave of floods on schools in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, Perak and Sabah earlier this month but expected it to be higher than the first wave.
"We are still carrying out assessment on the actual damages suffered by all schools that were hit by the second wave of floods in the states concerned and the ministry will take necessary action once we done compiling the reports.
"As for the first wave of floods, the amount of damages was reported at about RM10 million and we have issued allocation warrants to the affected schools. But, the repair works have yet to start following the second wave of floods," he told reporters after opening the golden jubilee celebration of Lubok Merbau Felda settlement here today.
On a separate matter, Mahdzir, who is also Padang Terap MP said the ministry has allowed the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) to develop SK Lubok Merbau quarters area into a housing scheme for the second generation of Felda settlers.
He said besides two units, the rest of the quarters, which were built in the 1970s were no longer occupied by teachers, so it would be wiser for the area to be used to build houses for the Felda Lubok Merbau second generation.