THE Education Ministry has been urged to step in and take quick action to mitigate public concerns over an alleged letter by the Penang Education Department to a Tamil primary school in Sungai Bakap, Nibong Tebal.
Bagan Dalam assemblyman M. Satees said the Penang Education Department had sent a letter, dated March 22, to SJK (T) Sungai Bakap to inform the school that the department did not support the school’s application to build a two-storey building in south Seberang Perai. The project also included six classrooms, 12 special rooms and other facilities with an estimated cost of RM14.511 million.
“The letter stated two reasons as justification – that there were insufficient financial resources, and that there were other Tamil schools in the vicinity that can accommodate the pupils of SJK (T) Sungai Bakap.
“The second reason gave an impression among the public, especially among the Indian community, that the Education Ministry has the intention to close down SJK (T) Sungai Bakap and move its pupils to other Tamil schools in the vicinity.
“We, in the state government and the Penang Tamil Schools Special Committee, disagree with the second reason stated in the letter,” Satees told a media conference in Komtar today.
Upon further checks with the Deputy Education Minister’s Office and the Deputy Education Minister, Satees claimed that both parties were not aware of the letter which had been issued to SJK (T) Sungai Bakap.
“I also learned that the Education Minister herself, who is also the Nibong Tebal MP, has no knowledge about the letter.
“It was just weeks ago that the Minister met with the school’s Board, and she had agreed to help,” Satees said.
Satees also explained that the school was not a sekolah kurang murid (low-enrolment school).
“The school is located on private land now. Back in 2015, a piece of land had been allocated for the school, and RM3.5 million was also allocated for a new SJK (T) Sungai Bakap.
“But the construction cost has skyrocketed, and the allocation became insufficient. Construction works have reached about 10 to 15%, and the entire allocation has been used.
“The application to the Education Ministry was to seek more funds to continue the project.
“However, the parents and the Indian community in the area were shocked when they read the second reason stated in the letter which was delivered to the school,” he said.
Satees said he was asked by Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Prof Dr P. Ramasamy to hold a media conference to explain the matter to the public.
“I was informed by the Education Minister and Deputy Education Minister’s Offices that SJK (T) Sungai Bakap will not be closed.
“This is the information which I have received.
“I believe that the Education Minister, who is also the elected representative of the parliamentary constituency in which the Tamil school is located, will not allow the school which has a history of 60 to 70 years to be closed,” he added.
Also present at the media conference were Penang Tamil Schools Special Committee secretary K. Krishnasamy, and member Prof Datuk Dr R. Santhiran.
Meanwhile, in a media statement on March 23, Dr Ramasamy expressed his disappointment over the Penang Education Department’s decision to discontinue the construction works of the new SJK (T) Sungai Bakap.
“The construction of the school should not be stopped just because there were insufficient financial resources.
“The Penang Education Department should not advise parents to send their children to nearby schools as this is akin to shirking the responsibility of the Government.
“There are many ways to revive the construction of the new SJK (T) Sungai Bakap which has been stopped due to insufficient funds.
“This is a matter of fundraising. The land has been allocated and the foundation has been laid. The Penang government disagreed with the abandonment of the project.
“There is a need to find ways to raise the required funds if there were insufficient financial resources,” Dr Ramasamy said.