About-turn by Dsara school board
Ng Boon HooiPublished: Jan 19, 2001 10:17 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
In a surprising turn of events, the board of governors of Damansara SJK (C) have agreed in principle to maintain the 70-year-old school.
This latest decision is a reversal of an earlier one made with the school's Parent-Teacher Association that the students transfer to the new Puay Chai SJK (C) (2). About 150 students refused to move while more than a 1,000 did so.
The school board will ask for two school grounds, one at the current location at Damansara and the other at Bandar Utama while waiting for a new school to be built at Tropicana, said a Chinese educationist, Dr Yap Sin Tian.
Yap, also Dong Zong deputy chairman, told malaysiakini today a meeting will be held today to discuss the issue further between the school board, the Dong Jiao Zong, the Action Committee to Preserve Damansara SJK (C), and the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (SCAH) Youth Section.
Emotions involved
Two days ago, Education Minister Musa Mohamad told the school's board of governors that their first option was to persuade all the students to move to Puay Chai SJK (C) (2), or the second, to have all the students go back to the old school thus negating the need for the new school at Tropicana.
Yap felt that the options offered by the ministry would only intensify the conflict arising from the issue.
"The most urgent matter is for the Education Ministry to re-open the old school and send teachers there. This will cool down the emotions of all involved," Yap said.
He also argued against the authorities' stand that the minority must follow the majority in the relocation of the school. "This minority follows majority principle works only under a democratic and fair system, but the system is not fair on Chinese education," he said.
Yap said that the Education Ministry should consider the opinions of the people because the Damansara New Village residents had their own problems.
Seek opinion
SCAH Youth Section Chief Jean Lee said up to now, the board of governors had not held any sponsors special assembly to discuss the transfer of the school.
"According to procedure, they need to hold a sponsors special assembly to seek the opinions of the people and the board of governors cannot overrule the sponsors," she said.
Meanwhile, Ronnie Liu, Adviser to the Committee to Preserve SJK (C) Damansara, demanded an apology from The Star on its news article titled 'Engineer queries Liu's motives', which he claimed questioned his sincerity in his involvement in the issue of the school's transfer.
He also asked for an apology from MCA and MCA Youth for accusing him of creating rumours against the board of governors and the PTA, stirring up people's emotions and creating fear among the villagers.
This latest decision is a reversal of an earlier one made with the school's Parent-Teacher Association that the students transfer to the new Puay Chai SJK (C) (2). About 150 students refused to move while more than a 1,000 did so.
The school board will ask for two school grounds, one at the current location at Damansara and the other at Bandar Utama while waiting for a new school to be built at Tropicana, said a Chinese educationist, Dr Yap Sin Tian.
Yap, also Dong Zong deputy chairman, told malaysiakini today a meeting will be held today to discuss the issue further between the school board, the Dong Jiao Zong, the Action Committee to Preserve Damansara SJK (C), and the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (SCAH) Youth Section.
Emotions involved
Two days ago, Education Minister Musa Mohamad told the school's board of governors that their first option was to persuade all the students to move to Puay Chai SJK (C) (2), or the second, to have all the students go back to the old school thus negating the need for the new school at Tropicana.
Yap felt that the options offered by the ministry would only intensify the conflict arising from the issue.
"The most urgent matter is for the Education Ministry to re-open the old school and send teachers there. This will cool down the emotions of all involved," Yap said.
He also argued against the authorities' stand that the minority must follow the majority in the relocation of the school. "This minority follows majority principle works only under a democratic and fair system, but the system is not fair on Chinese education," he said.
Yap said that the Education Ministry should consider the opinions of the people because the Damansara New Village residents had their own problems.
Seek opinion
SCAH Youth Section Chief Jean Lee said up to now, the board of governors had not held any sponsors special assembly to discuss the transfer of the school.
"According to procedure, they need to hold a sponsors special assembly to seek the opinions of the people and the board of governors cannot overrule the sponsors," she said.
Meanwhile, Ronnie Liu, Adviser to the Committee to Preserve SJK (C) Damansara, demanded an apology from The Star on its news article titled 'Engineer queries Liu's motives', which he claimed questioned his sincerity in his involvement in the issue of the school's transfer.
He also asked for an apology from MCA and MCA Youth for accusing him of creating rumours against the board of governors and the PTA, stirring up people's emotions and creating fear among the villagers.
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