SHAH ALAM: The dilapidated state of SMK Shah Alam has received the attention of state education authorities, just a day after the matter was highlighted by the New Straits Times.
SMK Shah Alam Parent-Teacher Association president Mohdan Amran said the school in Bukit Jelutong Timur was visited by state Education Department and district education office representatives this morning.
“The officers came to the school at about 11am and they visited all the affected areas mentioned in the NST article.
“They will bring the matter up to the higher authorities for further action.
“But, it will be subject to their financial situation,” Mohdan told the NST today.
He said it was high time the state education authorities took a serious look at the school’s construction, structural and design problems.
He said their complaints about classroom floors riddled with holes, eroding ceilings and uneven surfaces had previously fallen on deaf ears.
Despite being opened just five years ago, the school’s classrooms; science, chemical and computer labs; cooking and sewing classes, halls; teachers’ room; and netball court were not safe for use by the more than 1,000 students and 77 teachers.
“There is no doubt that I am dissatisfied with the present situation of the school.
“We had submitted reports to the authorities previously, but there was no action.
“I hope this time our grouses will be taken seriously and action will be taken immediately.
“There should be no compromise on the safety of students, teachers and staff.”
Yesterday, the PTA president had said that 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, he said, he was told by the school’s administration that they had not received the Certificate of Completion and Compliance as the construction did not meet certain building requirements stipulated by the authorities.
Mohdan said the PTA had reported the matter to the state government and the state Education Department in the past, but there were insufficient funds to carry out repairs.
The PTA had resorted to raising money to fix the problems.
The worsening situation had 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 being held at the nearby Royal Malaysian Air Force Sports Complex.
The floors of 24 of the school’s 37 classroom are filled with holes because they were made using dry concrete — a mix of sand and cement.
Efforts to patch up the holes were futile as the repairs did not last. The floors of the labs were also damaged and parts of the ceiling were infested with termites and had turned mouldy.
One portion collapsed recently during a heavy downpour.
Mohdan said the roof was leaking and water had seeped into the wall causing electrical points to be faulty.
The PTA voiced hope that Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik would channel funds from Budget 2020 to repair the school.