KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 -- The Education Ministry continues to receive the biggest allocation in the Budget 2020, reflecting the government's commitments to providing quality education to the people.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng when tabling the Budget 2020 in the Dewan Rakyat today said a total of RM64.1 billion was allocated to the ministry next year compared to RM60.2 billion in 2019.

He said in an effort to ensure a more conducive learning environment, the government would increase the allocation for school maintenance and upgrading works from RM652 million in Budget 2019 to RM RM735 million in 2020.

Lim said of the amount, RM300 million would be channelled to national schools (SKs) and RM50 million each to national-type Chinese schools, national-type Tamil schools, boarding schools, MARA junior science colleges, government-aided religious schools, missionary schools and tahfiz schools.

A total of RM25 million each was allocated to people's religious schools and private religious schools and registered religious Pondok schools, national-type secondary schools (RM20 million) and independent Chinese secondary schools (RM15 million).

Lim said the government would also focus on repairing dilapidated schools by providing RM783 million in 2020, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak.

"Next year, the government will construct schools in Langkawi, Kulai, Hulu Langat, Putrajaya, Pasir Gudang, Tumpat, Marang and Johor Bahru,” he said.

Lim said the government would also allocate RM23 million for SKs to ensure that their facilities were disabled-friendly, in line with the 'zero reject' policy introduced by the Education Ministry.

“The government would also increase the amount of utility assistance which includes sewerage services with an additional allocation of RM12 million benefitting 2,000 government-aided schools," he said.

-- BERNAMA