SHAH ALAM: SMK Shah Alam is a new school which opened its doors five years ago. It looks good from the outside but on closer inspection, things are far from pristine.
The school located in Bukit Jelutong Timur, here, is riddled with construction, structural and design defects.
Its classrooms, science, chemical and computer labs; cooking and sewing classes, halls, teachers' room and a netball court are no longer conducive and safe for its 1,000 over students and 77 teachers.
Its Parent-Teacher Association president Mohdan Amran said the school's condition was due to the poor quality of construction materials and that the PTA had observed this from the first day of operations.
Shockingly, Mohdan said he was also told by the school's administration that they have not received its Certificate of Completion and Compliance as the construction did not meet certain building requirements stipulated by the authorities.
He said they had reported the matter to the Selangor state government and the state education department in the past but there were insufficient funds to carry out repair works.
This saw the PTA raising money on its own to fix the problems.
The worsening situation has seen cooking classes halted, one of the science labs shut down and the netball court abandoned due to its uneven surface.
Sporting activities, such as volleyball, are temporarily being carried out at the nearby Royal Malaysian Air Force Sports Complex.
Mohdan said there were holes in 24 out of 37 classroom floors as they were made using dry concrete - a mix of sand and cement.
"We tried patching the holes up but they do not last. The flooring at our labs are also damaged while some parts of the ceiling are infested with termites. With the daily heavy downpour, part of the ceiling at our science block collapsed. Luckily, no one was hurt.
"The roof is also leaking, with water continuously dripping and seeping into the wall. Now, various electrical points are faulty and our walls have also turned moldy.
"We are at our wits end and really pity the students. However, we are glad that the students have kept their spirits up academically. Despite the poor conditions, in 2016 and 2018, 100 per cent of our students excelled in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examinations," said Mohdan.
Mohdan said he hoped that Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik will channel some funds to the school for the defects to be repaired.
"It will be a waste if the school is not restored. This is a school in a city, a new one, but it already has a host of problems. We hope the ministry will be able to spare us some allocation from Budget 2020," he said.
Mohdan was met during a walkabout with Seri Setia state assemblyman Halimey Abu Bakar today.
Meanwhile, Halimey advised the PTA to write to Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah, Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and Maszlee.
"We will try to assist the school to resolve the problems which must not be taken lightly. I am shocked to see the state of this school. I got to know that the school, during its construction, was categorised as 'a sick' project and it was completed in a haste.
"I want the problems to be resolved quickly as safety is of utmost importance for the students and teachers," said Halimey.