Dispute between Ting Pek Khiing and SUPP - Malaysiakini

Ting Pek Khiing is at loggerhead with Dr. George Chan, the president of SUPP for late payment of his school project. Ting Pek Khiing (or TPK) is not happy with SUPP for not keeping their promise to pay him upon completion of a school project. The new school is estimated to cost RM6.3 million and SUPP has only paid partial amount.

The Chung Hua Primary School No 2 building at Jalan BDC-Samajaya, Off Jalan Stutong project commenced construction during the election campaign in March 2008 which is a promise by SUPP to the Kuching voters in order to gain votes for their parliamentary candidate Alan Sim. Alan Sim lost in that election.

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From the Eastern Times

Ting wants payment for completed school project

By Mark Mos

KUCHING: “Please keep your promise, for I have kept mine,” said Tan Sri Ting Pek King when representing Global Upline at a press conference at the new Chung Hua Primary School No 2 building at Jalan BDC-Samajaya, Off Jalan Stutong here yesterday.
“I was told to finish the construction before school starts next year and have kept my promise, but please arrange for the appropriate payment as your side have promised,” he said.

Expressing his unhappiness, Ting said he had gone to the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) office to request for payment for the new school but did not get any.
The new school is estimated to cost RM6.3 million.

To date, SUPP has only paid RM2 million to the builders and has yet to pay another RM3.2 million after the completion of the project.

“What irritates me is that they (SUPP) are not making any effort at all in collecting donations to pay for the school. If they have tried I won’t mind. As a party representing the Chinese community they must be responsible,” he said.
Ting himself had donated RM1 million to the project which was undertaken by Global Upline which took only eight months to complete.

“If SUPP or any government body refuses to pay for the school then the school will be locked up and not be handed over until the matter is settled,” he warned.
When contacted, Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr. George Chan, told Eastern Times that SUPP would pay up the balance as soon as possible.
“The party is currently raising money from donations and have paid another RM500,000 to the builders,” he said.

Chan said he had met Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, last Wednesday to inform him of the matter and asked for tax exemption for the project.
“The DPM has on the whole, agreed to the issue of tax exemption and now we are currently waiting for the letter to the effect,” said Chan.
Global Upline Sdn Bhd had signed a contract with SUPP to construct the building of the new Chung Hua Primary School No 2 to replace the old one at Jalan Green Hill in March this year.

Meanwhile, SUPP Education Bureau in a press statement assured Ting that it would raise the necessary fund to complete the said project and thereafter, hand over the project to the management of the Kuching Chung Hua Primary Schools No 1-6 Board of Management.
“The total cost of the project is RM6.3 million was much more than our original estimate. To date, we have paid RM2 million.

“We would like to express our appreciation to Tan Sri Ting for his generous donation of RM1 million towards the construction costs,” it said.
The statement added that despite the current difficult times, SUPP has been able to raise another RM2 million but donors had requested for tax exemption permit from the Ministry of Finance.

“We had applied and verbal approval had been given. Meanwhile, we would like to assure parents and members of the public that we will ensure that the outstanding sum will be settled amicably and that the said school will operate as scheduled in 2009,” it said.
It also expressed gratitude to Ting for competing the building of the school as scheduled.
“The relocation and construction of Kuching Chung Hua Primary School No 2 is a SUPP education project,” it added.

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From the Eastern Times

Chan takes a swipe at Bandar Kuching MP
By Harun Jau

KUCHING: Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam yesterday hit out at Bandar Kuching Member of Parliament Chong Chieng Jien for not raising funds for Chinese schools in the Bandar Kuching Parliamentary Constitutency.

The Deputy Chief Minister who is also President of Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) also asked Chong why he did not come up with donations for the Kuching High School which lost its administrative office and a junior science block to fire on Tuesday.
Chan took a shot at Chong after presenting a RM100,000 donation from SUPP to the Board of Management of Kuching High School at his office at Wisma Bapa Malaysia, Petra Jaya here yesterday.

“They (the opposition elected representatives) can only talk. They are the elected representatives of the people and by right should be the ones to raise funds for those in need,” he said.

“SUPP has raised at least two and half million ringgit for Chung Hua Primary No.2 and today we are helping the Kuching High School.

“Have they (the opposition) come with anything? Why can’t they raise some money? Why must it be SUPP all the time?

“Even though we lost the Bandar Kuching seat to DAP, we still help those in need in the constituency,” Chan said, adding that the RM100,000 from SUPP would help Kuching High School’s Board of Management to kick start the rebuilding project.

Meanwhile, deputy chairman of Kuching High School Board of Management Tang Chong Sung said the school needed about RM500,000 to build a temporary administrative block to house the teachers and staff.

He said the school also needed to build three permanent blocks including a junior science block. “We actually need about RM5 million for the whole total reconstruction of the school and administrative blocks.”

The temporary administrative block which would house the staff rooms and the principal’s office ought to be built within this month to be in time for the new school term in January next year, he said.

The state education department had also promised to assist in covering parts of the reconstruction costs, Tang added.