A long-running dispute between a group of USJ residents and the area's state assembly representative over the construction of a new Chinese primary school building is now nearing its end with a promise for the school to start operation by July.
The school, SJK(C) Chee Wen, was the subject of frequent confrontations last year between Subang Jaya state assemblyperson Lee Hwa Beng and a group of residents working under the Committee for the Development of Chinese schools in Subang Jaya/USJ.
Chee Wen was first relocated to USJ from Batang Berjuntai in 1999 to serve the area's Chinese community but without a school building of its own, was forced to operate from five classrooms borrowed from another Subang Jaya school.
Although Lee had made it his electoral promise to complete school building by 2001, Chee Wen students were still without a school building of their own well into this year.
Open by July
However, when contacted on Wednesday, Lee said the school building was completed earlier this week.
"Construction works are completed - all three (classroom) blocks for the school are ready. There is only some paperwork left to do. We have to apply for a certificate of fitness and approval from the fire department," he said.
Lee said Chee Wen students would be able to move into the new building as early as late June or early July, if the permits are granted by then.
On the cost of the project, Lee said he had raised a total of RM3.5 million thus far to pay for the RM5.5 million bill.
"We owe another RM2 million and I have an agreement with the contractor to continue paying the balance (as funds are raised). I will continue to raise more funds for the school," he said.
However, Lee took the opportunity to rap his critics from the USJ Chinese school committee for not contributing more to the Chee Wen construction funds.
"They have only given me RM1,000 in donation. They organised a dinner to raise funds but where is the rest of the money that they raised for Chee Wen?" he asked.
Delayed opening
Responding to this, chairperson of the USJ residents committee Gan Wah Lien clarified that the fund-raising dinner was not held to raise funds for Chee Wen per se but to finance the committee's activities to campaign for the development of Chinese schools in the Subang Jaya and USJ neighbourhoods.
"The money is to fund the working group's activities. From the funds that we raised, we gave RM1,000 to Chee Wen and another RM1,000 to SJK(C) Lick Hung (another Subang Jaya Chinese primary school)," he said.
However, Gan said the committee successfully approached several big organisations for donations to Chee Wen.
"The Hainan association donated RM20,000 and a Sungei Way temple donated RM30,000. A Lion club group also donated RM3,000," he added.
On the opening of the school, Gan said there seemed to be an unexplained delay in the opening of the new Chee Wen facilities from the earlier estimated date of June.
"We were hoping for the school to open its doors for the new school semester (which starts June 8) but now it seems that this is not going to happen. We only hope the delay would not stop students from starting classes there next year," he added.
