SOS Damansara hopes for 'Chinese New Year gift' from PM
For two years, the buildings have stood empty. Where the chatter of children once filled its rooms, halls and courts, only a quiet stillness now pervades SJK (C) Damansara in Petaling Jaya. At least two thousand more children who could have obtained the education that was guaranteed to them in the constitution, lost that opportunity when the vernacular school was closed suddenly in January 2001.
Now into the third year of its closure, the walls are still standing strong, the classrooms usable, the courts functional despite obvious signs of neglect. Buoyed by all this and the current festive cheer, the residents committee that sprang into action two years ago to save the school is hoping the new lunar year will bring good luck to them.
The Save Our School (SOS) committee is hoping to get a "Chinese new year gift" from Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad tomorrow when he attends a 200,000-strong Chinese New Year celebration in Petaling Jaya, jointly-organised by the Culture, Arts and Tourism Ministry and the Selangor state government.
"We are very happy that the prime minister will celebrate new year with the Chinese community, but it would be a meaningless one if he didn't announce the re-opening of the Damansara school," said committee advisor Ronnie Liu.
Liu, who is also the DAP publicity chief, accompanied several DAP leaders in today's visit to the school. Among them were Kepong MP Dr Tan Seng Giaw, Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai, Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok. They also distributed angpow (red packet with money) to the pupils.
The closure of the school is also expected to be a hot topic in the coming general election, expected this year or next.
"If, before the general election, the school is still closed, then we would play up this issue," said SOS secretary Tommy Chin.
"We don't have any other avenue left. We will raise this issue with the other ethnic groups, too," he said.
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