The Education Ministry has set aside RM63 million to help schools in Sabah recover from recent floods, as efforts ramp up to clean, repair, and replace essential items ahead of the February 17 reopening.

The allocation comes after weeks of heavy rain left 57 schools statewide struggling with water damage, debris, and unusable facilities. Beaufort, one of the worst-hit areas, still has 14 schools in need of urgent restoration work.

“Our immediate focus is ensuring all affected schools can resume classes on time,” said Sabah Education Department director Datuk Raisin Saidin at a government event on Tuesday.

“We’re working closely with local agencies to assess damage, clear debris, and make necessary repairs before students return,” he added.

The RM63 million relief package will be used for clean-up operations, minor infrastructure repairs, and replacing school furniture destroyed by floodwaters.

Beaufort, a flood-prone district situated along the Padas River, regularly faces inundation during the monsoon season, but this year’s impact has been particularly severe.

Meanwhile, floodwaters are receding in some areas, allowing displaced residents to start heading home. As of 4pm Wednesday, the State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat reported that 476 people from 144 families remain in four temporary shelters in Beaufort and Kinabatangan.

The numbers have dropped from last week when thousands were evacuated. However, many families are still waiting for their homes to be deemed safe.

Data shows that 302 evacuees from 99 families are still at Dewan Bisaya and Dewan DSP Dun Banir relief centres in Beaufort. In Kinabatangan, 174 people from 45 families remain at SK Sukau and SK Bukit Garam relief centres.

With the start of the 2025/2026 school year just days away, authorities are in a final push to get classrooms back in shape—and for displaced families, the hope is that they, too, can return home soon. – February 13, 2025.