MIC president S Samy Vellu today hit out at Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) for denying the party permission to rebuild a 75-year-old Tamil school in Perak.

"They have forgotten the sacrifices made by Indians who played a major role in the construction of the railway track from Ipoh to Padang Besar," said Samy.

The termite-infested SJK (T) Perak Sangeetha Sabah is a double-storey wooden building situated on a 0.3ha land along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak.

NONE It is located on railway land in the heartland of the Indian community in Ipoh city. The school, built in 1934, has an enrolment of 178 pupils from standards one to six.

The MIC wants to replace the six-classroom wooden structure with a new four-storey building costing RM 2.3 million, which can accommodate 12 classes.

"KTMB must remember that the railway track could not have been completed without the manpower of Indians. Many sacrificed their lives when the Padang Rengas railway tunnel was being built," said Samy

Not enough space

"KTMB has conveniently forgotten the history of the Indian community's contributions to the construction of the railway network," he added.

He said there is a big Indian community concentrated in this area and more Indian children want to enrol in SJK (T) Perak Sangeetha Sabah.

najib tun razak "But there is not enough space to accommodate them unless KTMB gives permission to rebuild the school."

Samy pointed out that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak (right) had given RM100 million, and former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had allocated another RM30 million for the construction of 60 new Tamil schools.

The money is also for repairs and extension of buildings for Tamil schools in the country.

"SJK (T) Perak Sangeetha Sabah is on the list schools which is to benefit from the allocations, but KTMB is denying the Indian community the right to study in a newly-built school.

'I'm going to speak Tee Keat'

"When we have the funds (to build new schools)... we do not have the land and, when we have the land... we do not have the funds," said a frustrated Samy (below) .

"I'm going to speak to transport minister Ong Tee Keat about this matter (KTMB's decision not to allow MIC to build a new school)," he said.

samy vellu pc 160409 01 There are 134 Tamil schools in Perak and the MIC plans to build another eight new schools to cater for the growing Indian population.

The eight new primary school sites identified by state MIC secretary R Ganesan to Malaysiakini are Malim Nawar (Kampar), Kampung Jebong Lama (Bukit Gantang), Ladang Kapis( Padang Rengas), Ladang Kota Baru (Gopeng), Batak Rabit (Teluk Intan), Lady Flamington (Bagan Datoh) , Behrang 2020 (Tanjung Malim) and Ladang Nova Scotia 2.

Two major Tamil schools in Perak which will be expanded are Tan Sri Manickavasakam (Tanjung Malim) with six additional classrooms and Gandhi Kalasalai (Sungai Siput) with 10 additional classrooms.