Parents, students stage boycott over 'broken promise' of new school

As most pupils returned to meet their classmates yesterday, those in SJK (T) Ladang Jasin Lalang, Malacca, chose to boycott their classes instead and stood outside the school gates in a show of protest.

This is because their parents were dissatisfied with the federal government for not building a new school building, promised seven years ago during the Merlimau by-election.

The protest, which lasted from 7.30am to 3pm, saw 41 students and their parents refusing to enter the school gates.

The school’s parent-teacher association (PIBG) chief R Murugan, who was among the protesters, claimed BN had promised to build a new school building for the community during the 2011 by-election campaign.

“Local representatives even showed us a land title to prove the BN government allocated a four-hectare plot of land for the new school.

“But the land remained empty. There is only oil palm and forest there,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

Murugan (left in photo) added that deputy education minister P Kamalanathan had visited the site in 2016, and promised that the school would be moved to the new location for use this academic year.

“Now it is 2018, and nothing has been done at all,” he lamented.

Murugan added that the existing SJK (T) Ladang Jasin was decaying and may pose risks to the pupils’ wellbeing.

“The road is spoiled. Nobody stays around the school. If a child goes to school alone, he or she may face danger. Termites are destroying the building.

“The kids even saw a snake in the toilet. We are worried. We even questioned the district education office, but they don't dare to say much,” he said.

In a video uploaded by Ayer Keroh assemblyperson Khoo Poay Thiong, Murugan was seen to be having an argument with a district education officer over the matter.

Despite Murugan requesting a letter stating the date that construction for the new school building could begin, the officer only said that he had no power to issue such a letter.

This prompted Murugan to request Kamalanathan to meet the parents of the school’s students.

Khoo then reiterated that parents are angry over the matter.

“They are furious, so they boycotted the class with kids. They asked for a letter to prove when the school can start its construction,” he said.

Khoo added that BN had promised during the Merlimau by-election that a new national school and a Tamil school would be built.

While the national school was completed two years later, in 2013, the Tamil school did not receive a new building.

Khoo also stated that he has brought up the matter in the Malacca state assembly, but to no avail.

‘Don’t use students’

In a response posted on his Facebook page, Kamalanathan reminded parents that they should not use their children as “demonstration tools”.

“I regret that parents are willing to use their children as demonstration tools, while they can get information from the headmaster, the chair of the PIBG, the head of the school’s board of directors, or contact my office.

“I wish to reiterate that SJK (T) Ladang Jasin Lalang will get a new building, after the Malacca local council approves planning permission to enable construction work to start as soon as possible.

“I remind all parents to think first before taking any action that may affect their children,” the MIC central working committee member said.

Kamalanathan also stated that the issue of the new school building was first raised before he took office as deputy education minister in 2015.

“The new building of SJK (T) Ladang Jasin Lalang was announced by the then-deputy prime minister in 2011, before I was appointed as deputy education minister.

“When the issue was brought to my attention, the project was delayed for four years, from 2011 till 2014.

“The delay bloated the construction cost from RM3.8 million to RM4.6 million.”

Kamalanathan explained that the application for additional funds had to go through the Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister's Department, with approval only being received last month.

"The construction plan is smooth following the procedure to get approval from the agency involved," he said.- Mkini