KUALA LUMPUR : MIC Youth has challenged the Selangor state government to answer on the issues involving the construction of the Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) Ladang Coalfields, Kuala Selangor within three days.
MIC information chief P. Punithan said the school’s hostel for the children of farmers which was promised in 2012 is causing distrust against state government for not fulfilling their pledges.
He questioned on how the school project initially proposed to be built with 18 classrooms and equipped with modern 21st Century facilities estimated to cost RM4 million had been reevaluted to cost RM 7.2mil by the Public Works department 2014.
He said after being given the run around for several years, the school’s board of chairman was finally informed in 2016 on the fate of the school, with work commencing in 2017, five years after the announcement was made.
Punithan said even then the state informed that it could only provide the school with a six classroom building instead of what was initially promised.
“The state government had reduced the number of classrooms to six. How could such number classrooms cater for future intakes ?
“It’s simply unreasonable and a waste, if only six classrooms is being built at SJKT Ladang Coalfields.”
The 90 year old SJKT Ladang Coalfields school which was established in 1928, is currently operating from a shophouse lots.
“Was the announcement and promise just a gimmick to gain support for the last elections?
Punithan said the announcement for the construction of the school was initialy made by Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim when he was the then Mentri Besar.
The land developer (KL Kepong property development s/b ) and Selangor state government had jointly agreed to share the construction cost of both projects but its unknown what has happened to the allocations now.
Punithan also said that the proposed construction of a student hostel, for SJKT Ladang Coalfields which had yet to take off.
He said when Datuk Seri Azmin Ali took over from Khalid, he announced the construction of a student hostel next to SJKT Midlands school in Section 7, Shah Alam. The allocation of RM4 million for the hostel was made in the 2017 state budget.
“So what exactly is happening, has the state government decided to build the Midland student hostel using the Coalfields student hostel’s allocations?”
Punithan said SJKT Ladang Coalfields school Parent Teacher’s Association and even the MIC are in the dark as to what had transpired in the last couple of years in regards to the project.
“Honour your promise or else be prepared to face the consequences. This people have the right to know. I think 72 hours is a reasonable period the Selangor government and the Menteri Besar to give us a reply,” he said.