LINK | SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2026

Sabah Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, YB Datuk James bin Ratib, has conducted a working visit to closely inspect the school's condition and agreed with the proposal to relocate the school to a safer location. Based on the field investigation, he gave full support for the school to be relocated to the Kampung Simpangan Rural Development Cooperative (KPD) site, as proposed by the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) for the safety of the school's residents.

In an effort to optimize educational assets, YB Datuk James bin Ratib also proposed that the original site of SK Simpangan in Pekan Paitan be developed with a new school, namely SK Pekan Paitan. This initiative is as a preparatory step to accommodate the increase in student enrollment as well as the educational needs of residents in the surrounding area in the future. To ensure the continuity of learning sessions, students will be temporarily housed in the SMK Simpangan Open Hall with partition facilities to ensure comfort and peace during teaching and learning (PdP) sessions.

YB Datuk James bin Ratib, who also received a detailed briefing from the Sabah State Education Department (JPNS), stressed that the ministry will closely monitor the implementation of this plan. He reiterated the ministry's firm commitment to ensure that every Sabah child, especially in the interior and rural areas, has access to safe, conducive and high-quality educational facilities. This transformative step is part of the State Government's ongoing efforts in bridging the education infrastructure gap in line with the Sabah Maju Jaya aspiration.