He said at the moment, an Industrial Training Institue is still under
construction in Kuching and is expected to be in full operation by early 2000.

Tiong was responding to a reply by Minister of Human Resources at the
Parliament session recently.  He had asked the Minister to explain whether the Ministry had plans to set up basic and advanced skills' training centres in urban areas of Sarawak especially in Bintulu in view of its status as a heavy industrial town.

He also asked if the ministry had plans to set up the skills' training centres
with the co-operation of Institut Kemahiran MARA or Industrial Training
Institutes.

Tiong said the ministry had planned to set up industrial training institues
at two locations in Sarawak.  However, the minister did not explain further the exact locations of these industrial training institutes.

"The setting up of these industrial training institutes will be carried out
by the Manpower Department in the Ministry of Human Resources," he said.

On another question, Tiong said the State Government would set up nine rural growth centrs thoroughout the state over the next few years.

He was responding to another reply by Minister of Rural Development to his question.  Tiong had asked whether the Ministry would co-operate with the state government of Sarawak to create rural growth centers especially in Bintulu in an effort to reduce the rate of migration of rural folks to towns.

Tiong said the minister had explained that the ministry had always been giving its close co-operation and support to the Sarawak State Government in its implementation of the rural growth centres.

However, there are no plans as yet to set up a rural growth centre as there is no necessity of such centre at the present moment," he said... #END.