news feature

Exactly 500 days have passed, but determination remains strong among parents and supporters who are battling for the re-opening of a school in Petaling Jaya.

This was evident when some 200 people gathered yesterday to commemorate the closure of the original site of SJK(C) Damansara since early last year, in a temple located in a predominantly ethnic Chinese village.

Among the supporters were representatives from various Chinese guilds and associations as well several reporters from the Chinese media which, due to political pressure, has blacked out coverage of the issue.

Last night's event was, however, not just filled with fiery speeches from figures such as Loot Ting Yee, a veteran educationist, under the watchful eyes of some 20 police personnel.

It also witnessed those involved in an action group that fights to re-open the school, Save Our School (SOS) committee, sharing their stories heart-to-heart with the audience.

SOS secretary Tommy Chin, a businessman and a father of two, told the crowd how the school had changed since he graduated in 1979.

"There were only four classrooms which were in very bad condition. Then the parents held many fund-raising activities to collect money to improve the facilities," he said.

Chin's mother, a food hawker, was one of those who had participated in a food fair and donated all her income to the development fund.

Teachers thanked

Yesterday's commemoration also saw a rather chubby, slit-eyed standard two pupil who caught the attention of the crowd with his blazing yellow shirt leading his friends on stage and thanking their teachers.

At that juncture, one of the volunteers who was preparing food at a table near the stage shouted in Cantonese, " Wah ! Handsome, so brave ah !"

Apparently, the boy has a reputation of sobbing whenever he gets bullied by the rest. But for some reason, the teasing remark failed to unnerve him. He ignored the jeers from his friends and continued to finish his speech confidently.

Following this, SOS chairperson Wong Kim Fong told the audience she had quit school when she was 10 and did not realise how "suppressed" mother-tongue education is until she was involved in the movement.

When the master of ceremony asked the volunteers, mostly parents, who had helped prepare food for students during recess to come up on stage, many of them timidly and quickly sneaked into the kitchen to avoid facing the crowd.

The atmosphere turned sombre when all those present held candles in silence, reminiscing about the old SJK(C) Damansara.

Over the years, the school did wonders on its 0.8-acre land in Section 17, Petaling Jaya — a three-storey building which houses 16 classrooms and the administrative office, an activity centre, a library furnished with computers and audio-visual equipment, and a new canteen.

In 1999, an auditorium which cost hundreds of thousands of ringgit was completed.

Then the news came in late 2000 that it was ordered to be shut down. The Selangor state education department claimed that the school which had 1,430 students at that time no longer has a conducive learning environment because it was too small and too close to a highway that stretches in front of the school.

Felt cheated

The residents nearby, most of them parents of the students, protested against the decision. They felt 'cheated' because they were promised earlier that the government proposal was to build a 'branch school' in Tropicana, but not to the effect of closing the original building.

To date, no one knows who the culprit is. But many suspect that the school's board of governors, said to be pro-MCA, had always known about the plan but misled them.

They resorted to MCA politicians, such as Deputy Education Minister Hon Choon Kim and Petaling Jaya Utara member of Parliament Chew Mei Fun, for help but to no avail.

MCA instead targetted SOS advisor Ronnie Liu, who is also DAP publicity secretary, and claimed that the movement was infiltrated by opposition interests.

Even influential education groups such as United Chinese School Committees' Association and United Chinese School Teachers' Association (collectively known as Dong Jiao Zong) were not spared.

When they voiced support for the reopening of the original site, MCA published a booklet that labelled Dong Jiao Zong as being controlled by "Mandarin chauvinists" and "leftists" of pre-independence days.

At the onset of the crisis, the parents saw a glimmer of hope when Gerakan deputy president Kerk Choo Ting expressed support for their cause but due to pressure the leader backed down.

By the time when the original site was locked up on Jan 2 last year, many parents heeded the suggestion of the authorities to transfer their children to another Chinese primary until the 'new' SJK(C) Damansara was completed.

Financial woes

Some remained and put up a resistance. With donations from sympathisers, the determined parents set up makeshift classrooms in air-conditioned containers at a nearby temple and hired their own teachers, mostly graduates from Taiwan universities.

The school now has a total of 59 students. Many who graduated there last year have been sponsored by Dong Jiao Zong to further their studies at various independent schools in the state.

However, at a burn rate of RM20,000 a month, SOS is aware that it takes more than just strong will to maintain the school in the temple.

Money is needed for the rental of containers, electricity and water, salary, food for students during recess, field trips to various places, and loan for books.

SOS' Chin said the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall will organise a charity dinner next month to raise more funds.

Aside from the pressing financial reality, the entire neighbourhood is also facing problems with local authorities over land ownership. Recently, the residents were informed that their houses are in an area earmarked for construction of apartments and commercial lots under the controversial PJ1 local plan draft.

They have waited for months to get their land titles but there has been no response from the authority.

However, Chin remained optimistic about the possibility for the old school to be re-opened.

"We are confident that people will understand that we have no hidden agenda. Our motive is clear, we just want our school back," he said.

Another parent summed it best when she said, "We only need an approval and a place for our school, is that too much to ask for from the government?

"We look forward to gather again 500 days from now, you know, unless the school is re-opened."

This sentiment must have been shared by the guests because as the event drew to an end, they appeared ready to return in a few months to take part in another commemoration, if not the celebration of the re-opening of the school.

Photos courtesy of Dong Zong and Yong Kai Peng, editor of news magazine Perspektif Pedas