The United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) today countered a news report which claimed that MCA and the Chinese guilds will no longer pursue the re-opening of the SRJK Damansara. The school was closed in 2001.

Dong Zong CEO Bock Tai Hee said checks with MCA and the guilds had revealed that last Saturday's Oriental Daily News report was not true.

Quoting sources, the report had claimed that the MCA and the guilds had reached consensus at a meeting last week that the issue had been 'concluded'.

The sources purportedly said the Chinese community should not "fan the flames of old sensitive issues".

Commenting on the report today, Bock said in a telephone interview: "We contacted (MCA president) Ong Ka Ting and (Federation of Chinese Assembly Halls or FCAH president) Lim Giat Thong, but they said there is no such thing (as reported by the daily)."

He said he was certain that the Chinese guilds still supported the re-opening of the school and pledged that Dong Zong itself would continue to struggle for this.

Contacted later, Ong confirmed that the news report was inaccurate.

"I have no knowledge of that (the report) being true. The spokesman ( the source quoted) cannot reflect the actual situation, " said Ong told malaysiakini, but declined to elaborate.

The FCAH president could not be reached for comment today.

Answer sought

Meanwhile, Save Our School (SOS) Damansara committee secretary Tommy Chin said MCA should state its position over the issue.

"We want MCA to give us an answer. So long as the doors of the school remain locked, the issue will never be over," he said.

He also said the Chinese guilds have always shown clear support for the cause.

"The Chinese guilds have always helped us... they are in constant communication with us and they have shown that they are sincere in helping us," he added.

It has been 1,109 days since the school was closed and relocated. While most of its students have moved to a new school, 45 have remained in adjacent premises, studying in air-conditioned containers.

Last month, several lorries attempted to dump boxes of documents in the old classrooms, prompting fears that the school may be turned into a godown.

On New Year's eve, three SOS Damansara supporters were arrested by the police as they were distributing leaflets but were later released.