Don’t wait two years to build school building

The deputy prime minister had promised RM6 million for the building but they will have to wait two years.

BATU KAWAN: Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had promised a RM6.3 allocation for a new building for the Batu Kawan Tamil school but the school will have to wait for two years.

Two weeks ago, Muhyiddin promised that the government would build the school within two years time.

Hindraf Makal Sakthi advisor N Ganeson hopes that it is not an election promise and he says that the building should be built right now.

“Why wait for two years … why not now?” asked Ganesan (photo, below), saying Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak on Sunday had assured the federal government would be fair to all communities in education.
He noted that Tamil education has contributed immensely to the country’s talent pool in the past.

“It’s the government’s duty to develop and re-develop Tamil schools,” he told FMT here today.

Currently SRJK (T) Ladang Batu Kawan is housed in a few containers along with the estate clerk’s house, after its earlier colonial barn like building was burnt down some 10 years ago.

The new school building will be constructed on a two acre site that was allotted by the previous state BN government.

Under the federal project, the primary school will have eight classrooms, a teachers’ common room, a office and a canteen.

The Public Works Department (PWD) is now finalising the school building project plan to be submitted soon to the Seberang Perai Municipal Council for approval.

Batu Kawan BN coordinator A Mohan said he would formally submit a request to the Pakatan Rakyat state government to set aside another two acres for a school field.

“I hope the state government would not hesitate to assist a Tamil school,” he said.

During the 2004 and 2008 pre-general election periods, he recalled that many BN politicians promised a new school building for Batu Kawan Indians merely to fish for votes.

“Now the federal government wants another two years with the country’s 13th general election just around the corner.

The country has 523 Tamil schools with 102,000 student population in 2011, comprising about half of all primary school-going ethnic Indian children.