Kian Kok Middle School

Kian Kok Middle School
沙巴建国中学
Jiàn Guó Zhōng Xué
Sekolah Menengah Kian Kok
Kian Kok Middle School; 沙巴建国中学; Jiàn Guó Zhōng Xué; Sekolah Menengah Kian Kok
Address
	Kian Kok Middle School, Jalan Tuaran, 88450 Kota Kinabalu; Kota Kinabalu, Sabah; Malaysia
Information
Type	Chinese Independent High School
Established	1963
Chairman	Datuk Clement Yeh
Principal	Paul Voo
Faculty	Science & Commerce
Number of students	1,371 (2010)
Senior UEC (2014) average	89.3% (Passing rate)
Website	www.kiankok.edu.my

Kian Kok Middle School (Sekolah Menengah Kian Kok in Malay, 沙巴建国中学 in Chinese) is a Chinese independent high school located in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. The current principal is Paul Voo (邬恒亮).^[5] The school offers both Malaysian public examination, and SPM, and Chinese independent high school examination, UEC.

History[]

Kian Kok Middle School was founded in Kota Kinabalu during the early 1963. It was initially founded with the intention of accommodating junior high school students who failed to enroll into any public school. On 1 June 1963, the Hokkien association of Kota Kinabalu initiated the funding campaign for Kian Kok Middle School, with an initial donation of RM10,000 by the chairman. Within 9 months, the association has raised a total amount of approximately RM300,000.

During the early days of the school, there were only around 60 students and two classes. Students were forced to study in a temporary "campus" made up of several commercial offices that were leased by local businesses. The first building of Kian Kok Middle School was finally completely in January 1965. All 366 junior high school students enrolled in the school at that time were moved to the new permanent campus in Jalan Tuaran.

Kian Kok Middle School secpmd^{[check spelling]} introduced their senior high school class in 1966. By 1968, the school was completed with four senior high school classes and eleven junior high school classes. It was considered as the standard size of a Malaysian high school at that time.^[1]^[6]

Controversy[]

2013 Protest[]

On the 2013 annual graduation event dated 3 November, 2013, about 30 students rallied mid-event to protest the sacking of ten teachers by then incumbent principal Lim Chian. The students held signs written in Chinese reading “Justice For Our Teachers”. The students dispersed after a series of events including the school management allegedly contacting the local police and another event in which was allegedly a manually triggered blackout by the school to divert attention. The protest triggered a series of events including the resignation of the then principal, Lim Chian, and the succession of present principal Paul Voo. The event drew much local attention, whereas mixed reactions. The protest also sparked outrage and consequently affected the number of 2014 new intake students reducing the number by almost half.

Food and Lavatory Hygiene Conditions[]

Throughout 2013 and 2017, multiple complaints from students and parents about the state and quality of the toilets and food within the school compounds have been made. School toilets reportedly lacked basic amenities such as toilet paper, hand soap, mirrors, door locks, and water supplies. Privacy and hygiene were and still are main issues that have yet to be resolved. Odour, cleanliness, humidity, and lighting problems were directed to the attention of the school management, but have yet to be resolved. The school has also been reportedly accused of providing amenities such as toilet paper and hand soap only during the annual inspection conducted the local hygiene inspector, DBKK, only to remove the amenities afrer the inspection, therefore, leading to the awarding of five stars to the school’s toilets. Kitchen cleanliness and hygiene have also been a main problem for both of two canteens where food is served within the school compound. Parents have repeatedly questioned the nutritional values of the food served by the canteens. Multiple cases of diarrhea, regurgitation, vomiting, and food poisoning have occurred on students, and even parents. Raw rice has reportedly been repeatedly served by one of the canteens, which contains lectin, a protein that serves as a natural insecticide with a strong affinity for carbohydrates found on uncooked rice and beans. Lectin is one of the top 10 causes of food poisoning and can lead to nausea, diarrhea and vomiting when eaten in abundance.

Notable alumni[]

Oh Ei Sun, former political secretary of Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak.
Kelvin Teo, young entrepreneur and season 1 winner of reality show Love Me Do.