MIRI, Dec 13 — The Limbang GiatMara centre will have its own building and it is expected to be completed in August 2023, said Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.
He said that the RM10 million allocated under the 11th Malaysia Plan for the project covered the construction of the new building, purchase of equipment as well as furniture and operational needs.
He added that the construction of GiatMara’s own building would further empower the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Sarawak.
“The time has come for the Limbang GiatMara to operate in its own building to accommodate the rising number of students. We want the trainees to undergo the learning process in a more comfortable and condusive environment,” he said in a statement today.
Mahdzir today officiated the ground-breaking ceremony for the project in Limbang and it was also attended by his deputy Datuk Hasbi Habibollah, who is also the Limbang Member of Parliament; Sarawak Assistant Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail; and Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) director-general Datuk Azhar Abdul Manaf.
Mahdzir explained that the Limbang GiatMara, which has been operating from the Old Limbang Resident Office Building since 2011, offered courses in fabrication technology and metal welding, refrigeration and air conditioning, wewing as well as new courses in make-up and beauty therapy.
As of today, there are 30 GiatMara centres operating in Sarawak, with all of them located based on three categories, namely urban, semi-urban and rural, with each category having 10 premises each.
For this year, a total of 750 trainees are undergoing training in various fields, while for the 2022 intake, GiatMara will offer places to 700 students from Sarawak.
At the same function, Mahdzir also presented food baskets to the 19 recipients of the Hardcore Poor Housing Programme (PPRT) aid, 20 recipients of the Income Boosting Programme (PPP) as well as training completion certificates to 50 Limbang district Life-Long Learning Programme participants.
Fifteen B40 students also received the electronic devise learning aid from Yayasan Pelajaran Mara (YPM) whie another 15 received cash aid and food baskets from Rural Capital Berhad.
