Tamil schools all ready but no pupils

SJKT Ladang Terbrau also sits idle because it does not have a COF.

JOHOR BARU: Two Tamil schools in the state have yet to reopen despite being built, refurbished and completed almost 18 months ago.

They are also unlikely to welcome pupils when the new school term starts next month as one has no Certificate of Fitness (CFO) while the other with no access road leading to it.

SJKT Ladang Tebrau in Johor Baru, which was built at the cost of RM6.8mil, does not have the CFO from the local authority while SJKT Tun Dr Ismail in Simpang Renggam, constructed at RM5.9mil, cannot be used because it has no access road from the main road.

The distance between the main road and the school is about 150m.

SJKT Ladang Tebrau Parent-Teacher Association chairman Datuk B. Balamurali said the new school was opposite the old school.

He said the old school, which is 65 years old, experienced floods and an electrical short circuit recently.

The old school is also overcrowded.

“The school can only accommodate 200 students but we have 400 now,” he said.

SJKT Simpang Renggam PTA chairman S. Kesavan said although the new school, which is located in town, was ready, it had no access road to it.

White elephants: Kesavan explaining to parents about the new school which cannot be opened as there is no access road leading to SJKT Tun Dr Ismail.

He said the old school, which has only 18 pupils, was located at Tun Dr Ismail estate, some 17km from town.

The new school was built to replace the old school, which has been earmarked for relocation.

“The pupils, all living in town, have to get up as early as 5.30am to go to school,” he said.

He said a local businessman paid RM1,800 per month to hire a school bus to ferry them to school daily.

He said it was not logical for the pupils to go to the old school when the new one is ready and nearer to them.

Kesavan hoped Education Minis­ter Dr Maszlee Malik, who is the local MP and who has visited the school, would help to resolve the issue quickly.

He said they were also puzzled on how the funds to build the new school was allocated without making any consideration for an access road.

State Consumerism, Human Resources and Unity committee chairman Dr S. Ramakrishnan claim­ed the contractors and consultants of the school had yet to submit relevant documents to the local council for it to be endorsed and approved.

He said as long as the issue was not resolved, the pupils would not be able to study there.-Star