Relocate Tamil school now, says rep

B Nantha Kumar

The Selangor state government has allocated the land, so the federal government should not delay the project any further.

PETALING JAYA : The federal government has been urged to relocate the Seaport Tamil school in Kelana Jaya immediately. The relocation plan has been delayed since 2008.

Speaking on behalf of the residents, Seri Setia PKR assemblyman Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad today called on the Public Works Deparment (PWD) to commence contsruction of the new school building.

He said since the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government had allocated 1.5 acres of land in Desa Mentari for the new building, there was no reason to delay the relocation.

“After negotiations between the PTA (Parents-Teachers Association), local residents, the state government and the state council headed by Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, it was decided to relocate the school to Desa Mentari,” he told reporters.

Also present at the press conference were PTA chairman R Purushothaman, MBPJ councillors and local PKR leaders.

According to Nik Azmi, the state Housing and Development Corporation (PKNS) had allocated RM1.2 million for the new building in 2008.

He said that PWD also revealed that the construction plan for the new building had been aprroved.

“Currently, the Seaport school only has 112 pupils. If we relocate, the number of pupils will increase. The federal government and education deparment cannot delay this,” he said.

However, a local resident, who wished to be known only as Paneer, said he was disappointed that only 1.5 acres of land was allocated when the original allocation in 1995 was 3.5 acres.

Back then, following pressure from local residents, the Barisan Nasional state government agreed to allocate seven acres in Mentari Court for the construction of a cluster of schools, including one with Tamil as the medium of instruction on 3.5 acres.

However, the state government changed its mind and approved plans to build medium-cost apartments at the site instead.

Following an uproar, the state government allocated another site in Desa Mentari for the schools.

Under the new plan, 7.3 acres was allocated for the cluster of schools, but this did not include a Tamil school.

It was proposed that the Tamil school be built at a different site within one acre. However, nothing had materialised and the Indian community’s appeals to MIC fell on deaf ears.