THE new four-storey SJK(C) Aik Hua in Lilitan Sungai Ara will be able to take in some 1,200 pupils when the school is ready.
The school’s board chairman Datuk Gary Choot Ewe Beng said the current primary school (about 110 years old) in Muntri Street could only take in about 200 pupils.
SJK(C) Aik Hua has also been accepting special pupils to study in the school in Muntri Street. It has been yearning for a relocation for almost 20 years.
It was reported that the intakes to the school had been dwindling over the years because of its location in George Town. Back in October 2018, it was reported that 76 pupils including 31 with special needs were studying in the school.
Choot thanked the state government for assisting the school.
“The construction of the school may take 18 months to complete, and the estimated cost of the project is RM22 million, excluding the equipment needed for the new school. The school has managed to raise about RM10 million.
“We see the need to assist special children. The pupils and the special children, who are now studying in the school in Muntri Street, will be continuing their studies in the new school in Lilitan Sungai Ara after it is ready.
“We will be expanding our facilities from time to time. The children with special needs will be studying on the ground floor and they have their own entrance.
“We need to apply to the Government if we want to receive more pupils with special needs (above our quota) because more resources are needed to teach the special children,” he said.
Choot said the primary school in Muntri Street belonged to the Penang Hainan Association.
“The association will decide what to do with the old school building in Muntri Street after the school is relocated. It may use the proceeds to fund the running of the new school in Sungai Ara.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the existing primary school in Muntri Street only occupies 0.2 acres of land.
“The pupils have limited space to conduct their activities. Therefore, the school applied to the state for land to relocate the school in 2011.
“I was then a Penang executive council member and I tried my best to assist the school. The Penang government, led by the then Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, handed over this 4.3-acre land to the school in 2016 for the relocation of the primary school.
“After successfully obtaining the land for the relocation, the school faced another challenge to raise funds for the project.
“The state government decided to channel the development contributions of RM10.7 million from Hunza Group and RM5 million from Ideal Property Group, which were paid to the state government, to the school to help in the building of the new SJK(C) Aik Hua.
“The contributions from the developers were channelled here after all factors and needs were taken into consideration,” he said during the groundbreaking ceremony today.
Also present were state Social Development and Non-Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Chong Eng, Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng, Ideal Property Group executive chairman Tan Sri Alex Ooi and his wife Puan Sri Joanne Phor.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi
Video by Chan Kok Kuan