The Malaysian Chinese Association, a component party of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, has been urged to explain its stand in backing the Education Ministry's decision to close down the controversial SRJK (C) Damansara school.

The federation of Chinese school teachers and governors, Dong Jiao Zong (DJZ), today called on MCA to state why the party does not support the reopening of the original school.

It said that other BN component parties, namely Gerakan, SUPP, MIC and PPP, have supported the demand that the old school be reopened.

Recently, students at the Damansara school were directed by the Education Ministry to temporarily transfer to SRJK (C) Puay Chai (II) - a few kilometres away - while awaiting the completion of a new school in Tropicana.

The authorities have been unable to provide clear explanations as to what would happen to the 70-year-old school and its abandoned site. The majority of the students have moved to Puay Chai (II) but 67 have stayed put, and are continuing their classes at a neighbourhood temple.

DJZ also pointed out that then education minister Najib Abdul Razak said in Feb 13, 1999 that the government's policy was not to increase Chinese schools but to relocated and enlarged them.

"MCA, as a member of BN, should explain to Malaysian Chinese whether they agree or disagree with Najib," it said.

DJZ added that given the government's promise to build the new school in Tropicana in eight months, it hoped that similar schools could also be built with equivalent speed and efficiency.

Apology demanded

Yesterday, malaysiakini reported that DJZ had asked MCA to apologise and retract its pamphlets on the Damansara school issue, which the latter claims insulted them and their leaders

According to DJZ, a pamphlet entitled 'The relocation of SRJK Damansara' criticised the influential federation as "the commandant of the opposition politics", a pawn "in the chess of the Barisan Alternatif political war" and "dividing the unity of the Chinese".

"They have seriously distorted the facts and defamed Dong Jiao Zong," said DJZ in a statement.

DJZ said that the attack by the MCA is to "divert attention from the real issues".

Meanwhile, the Save Our School committee is planning another walkathon tomorrow as a show of support for the old school. Last Sunday, a similar walkathon resulted in 46 participants being arrested. They were, however, all released on police bail.