The DAP claimed today that neither Petaling Jaya residents nor those fighting to re-open the SJK (C) Damansara school in the township were informed of amendments made to local government plans affecting them.

The Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) however submitted that it did give sufficient notice on the matter.

Having discovered the amendments by chance, and realising they do not much time to appeal the proposed changes, the Damansara residents wishing to preserve the school issued a statement via the DAP yesterday, slamming the local council's hidden moves.

The opposition party's international secretary Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew, when contacted, said the MPPJ had revised a Petaling Jaya Local Plan 1 (1997-2010) "quietly" on May 3, 2005 without a public announcement.

"One of the biggest victims from these new amendments is the school. It has apparently been classified as a residential area with a high density and with the approval to the amendments, it will be torn down to give way to condominiums," said Liu.

The 70-year-old school was sealed off in January 2001 and its students relocated to a new building 4km away. The authorities had deemed that the school is no longer located in a "conducive learning environment".

However, a handful of parents wanting their children to continue studying in the building have resisted the government's move for over four year now. They, along with supporters, had formed the Damansara Save Our School (SOS) committee to oppose the closure.

Conflicting claims

Liu said that because they were not given adequate notice of MPPJ's amendments, the committee had less than a week to file an appeal to the council.

"I found out about the amendments only when a friend from MPPJ alerted me last week. The committee is in the midst of collecting signatures to appeal against the amendments," he added.

An appeal can be made within a month of the announcement, in this case till June 3, to object to the amendments.

However, MPPJ has said that it is most likely going to extend the appeal period, which it is lawfully allowed to do, by another month.

"It is almost a sure thing that we will now extend it till July 3 because the residents have requested us to do so," said MPPJ planning division director Sharipah Marhaini Syed Ali's assistant.

She added that the notice - about the amendments and its details - were exhibited at the MPPJ building and also published in local dailies.

"It was advertised in the newspapers - New Straits Times and Berita Harian - on three occasions on April 26, May 12 and 25," she added but could not say for sure if items pertaining to the school were included in the announcement.

Forty nine of the school's original students, who refused to budge from their stand, are currently attending classes in air-conditioned containers situated on the grounds of a nearby Chinese temple.