Seated from left, Tham, Chan, Yusof, Teo and Gerturude at the briefing for the new administration building, multipurpose hall and auditorium at IPG Gaya campus.
KOTA KINABALU: The long-awaited new administration building, multipurpose hall and auditorium will be constructed at the Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPG) Gaya campus.
The RM58.8 million development, said to be one of the biggest projects for Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia (IPGM), is expected to be completed by March 15, 2021. The project covers an area of seven acres on the 48-acre land in IPG Gaya campus.
Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching said the development consists of a six-storey administration building as well as a multipurpose hall and auditorium with a capacity of 1,500.
“The project is expected to benefit more than 700 students in the campus upon completion,” she said during her site inspection at IPG Gaya campus here yesterday.
The project falls under the Ministry of Education and is implemented by the federal Public Works Department.
She said the project was first proposed in 2005 but it was not until this year that the development obtained the approval.
“We hope the project can be completed as scheduled by 2021, if not sooner,” she said.
The Letter of Award (SST) was issued on May 10, 2019, while the site was handed over to the contractor on June 10, 2019. The work progress of the development is currently at 1.43 percent.
Teo said IPG Gaya campus, formerly known as Maktab Gaya, was built in 1963. She pointed out that the facilities at the campus, particularly the administration building, was in a dilapidated state.
She said construction of the existing campus was built mainly using sea sand, which resulted in serious cracks in the beams and pillars in the administration building and other blocks.
On another note, Teo assured that there would be additional allocations to Sabah to repair dilapidated schools in the State, but a formal announcement would only be made after the ministry worked out the details.
Meanwhile, IPG Gaya campus director Gerturude Jock thanked the government for realizing the long-awaited development. She said the multi-purpose hall and auditorium would cater for seminars and conventions.
Gerturude said she had also proposed to the State Minister of Education and Innovation, Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob, to turn some of the land at IPG Gaya Campus into an urban educational information centre where students could enjoy nature and fun learning.
Also present were Minister of Education and Innovation, Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob, Kota Kinabalu member of parliament Chan Foong Hin and assistant state education director of Chinese School Unit, Tham Yun Fook.