DAP international secretariat Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew wants MCA to apologise for calling him a liar as his claim that the government planned to demolish the SRJK (C) Damansara school proved to be true.

In 2001, MCA leaders - current secretary general Dr Ting Chew Peh, parliamentarian Chew Mei Fun and state assemblyperson Lim Choon Kin - signed advertisements in major English and Chinese dailies condemning Liu and DAP's claims about the school.

"Now I want them to explain to the people how come the school will be demolished when, at the time it all just started (2001), they accused me of spreading rumours. In fact, they should apologise to me," said Liu when contacted today.

When the Damansara school was first sealed-off in 2001, the DAP leader embarked on a campaign - with parents of the school's students - to reopen the school and stop the government from attempts to acquire the land for development.

In the campaign , Liu, acting as adviser to Damansara school's Save Our School (SOS) committee, had said that there were plans to destroy the school and accused the government of seeking pure economic gains as opposed to truly caring for the wishes of the people.

"It is now clear, with the amendments made to the Petaling Jaya Local Plan 1 (1997 - 2010), that the school will be bulldozed to build condominiums. They are also planning to change all the houses in the area to clusters of apartments.

"Whatever we heard and said back then is now proven to be true," he said.

Legal action

Asked why he had not sued the government - and the three politicians in particular - over the libel, Liu said it was because he was too focussed with saving the school to seek personal vindication back then.

"Even my lawyers encouraged me to sue them then. I didn't have the time to think about it. I was too busy fighting for the school. However, I can still sue them now if I wanted to," he added.

However, Lui still managed to find amusement in MCA's action when he laughed as he said that the move - to carry an advertisement to deny, condemn and debunked the accusations as lies - was unprecedented.

Since discovering the council's confirmed plans for the school last week, the politician, who has for two terms failed to secure the member of parliament seat in the school's constituency, has organised the SOS committee to conduct a signature campaign to further oppose the move.

"The student's parents and supporters are planning to submit the petition on June 3 (as one is normally given a month to appeal a local council plan). I also met the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (chief) Ahmad Termizi Puteh on Saturday who said the deadline will be extended to July 3," said Liu.

He also encouraged the villagers to act against the move immediately to ensure their "small village of about 200 families" is not demolished.

"If the school goes, then it'll be difficult for the villages to stop the development. The place is like a gold mine. It is located on a very nice little hill and is strategic. It will be very easy for the government to use the Land Acquisition Act to acquire the land.

"As there is now already a blueprint for the place, I'm advising the villagers to really come out fighting now. The place is very vulnerable and can be flattened within a couple of days," he said.

Over a 1,000 students from the Damansara school were relocated in 2001 to a new school building located some four kilometres away.

The area's parliamentarian and one of the advertisement's signatories Chew Mei Fun could not be reached for comment.