The federal government has approved a RM100 million allocation to upgrade and renovate SJK (T) schools in the country as part of the transformation programme for Tamil vernacular schools.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department G Palanivel said the government had also agreed to approve the construction of six new SJK (T) schools nationwide, with two of them in Kedah, including SRJKT Jalan Paya Besar.

The other schools will be build in Perak, Selangor and other states.

Palanivel, who is also the MIC president, said he had also appealed to the Finance Ministry to ensure the upgrading and renovation works to be carried out by Indian contractors.

“I have appealed to the Finance Ministry to exempt Indian contractors who are identified for infrastructure works in Tamil schools, from having the Contractor Service Centre (PKK) licence,” he told reporters at the ground-breaking ceremony for SRJKT Jalan Paya Besar near Padang Serai today.

Apart from the Jalan Paya Besar school at is expected to cost RM10.4 million, another new Tamil school would be build in Taman Keladi, Sungai Petani at a cost of RM10 million.

- Bernama