I refer to the Malaysiakini report Tamil schools: Whose responsibility? MIC's or gov't's?

Perhaps the MIC president could answer as to how did the MIC allow the Johor government to take away land allotted for the construction of a Tamil school.

Recently, it was reported that the school authorities at top scoring SJK (T) Kangkar Pulai are fuming mad after finding out that the land promised to them for a new school has now been approved for a commercial project without their knowledge.

According to the School PTA chairperson K Kanapathy, he has now discovered that although the Johor state government had in 2004 approved a 2.3ha land for the school and also gone on to announce a RM5.4million for the construction of the school under the 9th Malaysia Plan, the state executive council had instead on April 4, 2007 approved an application for commercial development.

The state government has instead given a new piece of land for the school which is near a jungle and a quarry.

The state MIC chairperson KS Balakrishnan, who was previously a state exco member, is now unsure how the approved land for school had been converted. He now informs that the Johor menteri besar has been informed who in turn instructed the Land and Mines Department to give the land back to the school.

SJK (T) Kangkar Pulai was built in 1953 and was initially known as SRJK (T) Karai Nagar. In 1985, the school was made a sekolah bantuan penuh kerajaan and its name was changed to SJK (T) Kangkar Pulai.

The school is situated on a 0.6 acre land and has two double-storey blocks of eight classrooms which are in a dilapidated state.

In fact the Public Works Department as early as 2002 after an inspection stated ‘ bangunan ini tidak sesuai dijadikan bilik darjah kerana tidak mengikut keadaan semasa dan merbahaya untuk di gunakan ’.

In its repor,t it further advised the Education Department that ‘ pihak kami mengesyorkan bangunan tersebut dirobohkan dan digantikan dengan bangunan baru ’.

Even Fire Prevention Services and Rescue Department after conducting an inspection of the school in 2002 found that among others, ‘ Tangga keselamatan tidak mengikut ciri-ciri keselamatan yang diperakui JBDPM, tiada pintu keluar keselamatan di belakang bangunan sekolah ’ and ‘ tiada alat keselamatan kebakaran ’.

In short the school is a death trap.

The school has no field or vacant space and is prone to floods and is situated smack in the middle of a housing estate. The noise and din from the passing traffic does not provide a conducive studying atmosphere for the students. Students also have to make do without basic facilities like a school hall, computer labs or even a meeting room.

Despite all this shortcomings, SJK (T) Kangkar Pulai - which presently has 768 students - has been for sometime among the country’s top scoring schools. In 2005, 17 students scored seven A’s in the UPSR examination.

On September 29, 2006 some 250 parents demonstrated in front of the school highlighting the dilapidated condition of the school.

I believe the MIC owes an explanation (particularly the Johor MIC) as to how the land for this Tamil school was taken away. Perhaps MIC owes a duty to obtain an explanation from the Johor government as to:

1. What was the reason Johor government - after having given approval in 2004 - take away the land of the new SJK(T) Kangkar Pulai and approve it for a commercial project without informing the PTA?

2. Why and how did the Johor government on April 4, 2007 approve the application by the developers for the commercial project made in early 2006?

3. Has the land been sold to the developer by the Johor government?

4. If it has, how would it be possible for the Johor government to take the land back from the developers?

5. The Johor government is to be held responsible for taking away the land approved for the construction of the Tamil school and now must ensure that the land is given back

Perhaps Samy Vellu or the MIC or even Johor MIC would care to respond.