KUCHING – Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) presidential council member Datuk Seri Abang Aditajaya Abang Alwi today proposed a three-month salary cut for all Sarawak assemblymen, with the funds going to the purchase of gadgets for students undergoing home-based teaching and learning sessions.
He said the Gabungan Parti Sarawak-led state government should be more sensitive about the difficulties faced by students, especially those from poor families, in coping with e-learning challenges amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We don’t want these children to lag behind in education just because they cannot afford to buy suitable devices.”
Abang Aditajaya, who is also Tg Manis PSB chairman, said the state government should provide every student in Sarawak with a gadget for free by using the state’s allocation.
He said it is upsetting when there is no allocation set aside for the acquisition of gadgets for students in the state in the Bantuan Khas Sarawakku Sayang 5.0 announced recently, even though 1,000 students have applied for gadget aid.
He added that the proposal is made not to blame any party, but merely to make it more convenient for students to continue with their e-learning sessions.
From last week, the Tg Manis PSB service centre has been distributing suitable devices to eligible students, which, so far, comprised 100 tablets for those in Form 6, 200 smartphones for those in Form 1 to Form 5, and 50 laptops for university goers. – Bernama, February 15, 2021
