The Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of a Tamil school in Kulim, Kedah, has claimed it has uncovered evidence that the school is the rightful owner of a disputed plot of land.
This is after SJK(T) Ladang Sungai Ular's board of governors claimed they were only leased the 0.2ha (0.5 acres) by the Kedah State Development Corporation (PKNK) to construct an additional building.
The school was built in 1936 and has 173 students.
The land fell into dispute after the board signed an agreement with PKNK to lease the land for free for three years, subject to terms such as the corporation can retake the land at any time with three months' notice.
However, Kulim Bandar-Bharu MP Saifuddin Nasution Ismail claimed that the late former Kedah menteri besar Azizan Abdul Razak had actually granted the school the land for free, back in 2009.
The school's PTA said it now has a letter that purportedly backs Saifuddin's claim.
"I have documents proving that Azizan gave the land to the school... PKNK as the landowner had allocated the land without any terms," PTA chairperson K Muniandy said.
According to the Sept 29, 2009, letter sighted by Malaysiakini, PKNK agreed to allocate 0.5 acres of land to SJK(T) Ladang Sungai Ular to build a three-storey building.
It is understood that the current lease agreement between the board of governors and PKNK was inked on Feb 8, after the latter offered to lease the land for 30 years to the school in exchange for a payment of RM163,000.
However, the school rejected the initial offer, as it did not have the funds.
The free three-year renewable lease agreement was made after a meeting between the board of governors and Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor - who is also the PKNK chairperson.
BK Kumaresan, a special officer of Sanusi's, said he will be meeting with the PTA to further discuss the land issue.
Malaysiakini has contacted the SJK(T) Ladang Sungai Ular board of governors for comment. - Mkini
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