Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today announced an RM15 million expansion plan for a small Islamic school in Teluk Kumbar, the Al-Itqan Education Center, which houses primary and secondary school students.

Lim said the project was a timely move, this being the holy month of Ramadan.

The project is a collaboration between developer Ideal Property Group and the Penang government.

“The state will fund the project with a RM15 million allocation; the new building will house 20 classrooms, a surau, computer room and a multipurpose house,” said Lim, who is also the DAP secretary-general.

“Since we have already got a developer to build the extra classrooms, the school does not need to suffer any headaches to look for architects, contractors, or put in applications to the local council for planning permission,” added Lim, at a press conference in Komtar today.

The expansion will be on a 2.98 acre plot of land, where four blocks will be built to house about 1,000 to 1,200 students by 2018.

Currently the primary school, which has 250 students, operates in rented space, while the secondary school with 70 students, is situated some 300m away.

Accompanying Lim at the announcement were Deputy Chief Minister I Rashid Hasnon, state executive councillor on Islamic affairs Abdul Malik Kassim, Ideal Property chairman Alex Ooi and the Center’s board of director Abdul Halim Abdul Aziz.

Lim had announced a series of positive measures for the benefit of the Malay/Muslim community in Penang recently.

Yesterday, Lim announced a 75 percent increase in the annual Aidilfitri special bonus payment to civil servants, which he said was only possible because the Penang government practised CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) principles.

Last week, Lim took the contractor of the new building of the Penang Syariah Court to task for delaying its work for 21 months, saying the Penang government had provided a RM82 million plot of prime land for the project.

The moves are seen as Lim trying to appease the Muslim community after being criticised and labelled anti-Islam following the DAP’s uncompromising views on PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s Hudud Bill.