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news without borders
Damansara school
to reopen next year
DEPUTY Education Minister
Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong says
the original SJK (C) Damansara
will definitely reopen next year,
the Chinese press reported
yesterday.
He said the buildings, which
have not been used since the
school was relocated to its new
premises in Tropicana in 2001,
will be repaired and be ready
for the new intake.
He said he has personally
handled the allocation of teach-
ers for the school and work to
repair and clean the school
buildings will be carried out as
scheduled next month.
Wee also said he is looking
for a suitable candidate to helm
the school.
“Next week, we will start
making arrangement for pupils
to be transferred back to the
school.
“According to statistics pro-
vided by the SJK (C) Damansara
Save our School Committee
(SOS Damansara), 94 pupils
have enrolled with the school,
including six who will be in Year
6 next year.
“We expect the pupil popu-
lation to exceed 100 when it
reopens next year.”
Wee told the press this when
asked to comment on concerns
raised by a group of residents
that the school may not be
ready for the next intake.
“Some people have sug-
gested that we transfer pupils
back to the school but I have
received feedback from parents
who are comfortable with the
current school and do not want
their children moved. We have
to respect the wishes of those
parents,” he said.
He declined to disclose the
amount of money needed to
refurbish the school buildings
but hoped the reopening of the
school will not be politicised.
The government’s closure
of SJK (C) Damansara, located
in Section 17, Petaling Jaya,
seven years ago citing traffic
congestion, sparked a hue and
cry from parents and Chinese
education groups. Since then,
the SOS Damansara has been
conducting classes in air-con
containers in the premises of
a temple near the old school
for children who do not want
to go to the new school in
Tropicana.
Seeking a common stand
on New Era issue
Press Digest
by Kong See Hoh
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
DONG Zong (United Chinese
School Committees Association)
says an extraordinary meeting
scheduled for Sunday to discuss
the widening issue of New Era
Rescuers College principal will seek a
pull 160 common stand among its state
bodies components (Dong Liang Hui),
but not a resolution.
from However, Malacca Dong
Pakistan Lian Hui, which initiated the
quake meeting, told Oriental Daily News
on Tuesday that if a consensus
rubble cannot be reached, the issue
pg 14 should be resolved via the ballot
box.
The fate of New Era’s principal
Dr Kua Kia Soong became an
issue when an announcement
some time ago by college senate
chairman Dr Yap Sin Tian, who
is also Dong Zong president,
theSun
that Kua’s contract will not be
extended drew flak from some
quarters, including academic staff
and students of the college who
want Kua retained.
The controversy widened
when some of the state Dong
Liang Hui started to take sides.
Four of them – Malacca, Negri
Sembilan, Johor and Perlis
– are in favour of retaining Kua
whereas three – Selangor/Kuala
Lumpur, Kedah and Sabah
– support Dong Jiao Zong
Education Centre’s decision to
hire a new college head.
Dong Zong general secretary
Kao Ming Liang told the daily
the extraordinary meeting is to
allow Dong Lian Hui from all 13
states to express their views on
the issue.
“If no consensus is reached,
we will see how (we can convey
our message),” said Kao. “As
far as I know, this is the first
time Dong Zong is holding an
| THURSDAY OCTOBER 30 2008
extraordinary meeting.”
He explained that the non-
profit Dong Jiao Zong Education
Centre, which runs the New Era
College, has four stakeholders
– Dong Zong, Jiao Zong (United
Chinese School Teachers
Association), Merdeka University
Berhad and the sponsors group.
He said Dong Zong is just one
of the stakeholders, as such it can
only give its view but not decide
on the hiring and firing of New
Era College head.
Dong Jiao Zong adviser Datuk
Sim Mu Yu hoped the meeting
will lead to a win-win situation,
that is, keeping the status quo and
retaining the service of Kua.
Meanwhile, Hua Zong
(Federation of Chinese
Associations in Malaysia) said
it has no intention to meddle in
the affairs of Dong Jiao Zong but
hoped the issue can be resolved
as soon as possible because of its
implications on the development
of Chinese education in the
country.
It said the issue is not purely
an internal affair of Dong Zong
as “it concerned the Chinese
community”.