Students from the controversial Chinese school in Damansara, which was unceremoniously closed early this year, were today told to report to their newly-completed school in Tropicana next month.

In a recent letter addressed to the parents of the students, headmistress Ong Siew Lye said that all pupils should attend classes at the new school when the school term begins on Sept 19.

In January, students at SJK (C) Damansara were directed by the Education Ministry to temporarily transfer to SJK (C) Puay Chai (II) - a few kilometres away - while awaiting the completion of their new school building in Tropicana.

The relocation turned into a major controversy when the authorities were unable to provide a clear explanation as to what would happen to the historic 70-year-old school building and its abandoned site.

Subsequently, 74 students refused to budge and decided to stay put, while the remaining 1,300 moved temporary to Puay Chai (II).

As the old school was sealed by the police, the primary students who remained at the old site continued their education in make-shift classes held in cargo containers at a neighbourhood temple.

The students who are currently studying at the temporary site in Puay Chai will also told to begin their classes at their new school.

Relocation ruled out

In an immediate reaction, a representative of those who opposed the closure of the old school vowed that the 74 dissident students - who have stood their grounds for 278 days - would not be moving to their new school.

Tommy Chin, secretary-general of the Save Our School Committee, said that the old school should be re-opened.

"Despite the notice calling on students to move to the new location, the parents will keep sending their children to the 'containers' school until the re-opening of the old school," he told malaysiakini .

He added that since those who are studying temporarily at Puay Chai now will move to the newly- built school, the school's board of governors should not worry about re-opening the old school.

The governors had earlier argued that students in the old school should relocate to Puay Chai for fear of losing the allocated site in Tropicana.

"Hence, the governors should come and talk to SOS regarding the re-opening of the old school," said Chin.

It was earlier learned that the old Damansara school was initially slated to move to Bandar Utama a long time ago, which is closer to the old site than the new school in Tropicana.

However, that plan was 'hijacked' by a number of influential individuals, who turned the allocated Bandar Utama school to Puay Chai (II).

Record time

Meanwhile, SOS adviser Ronnie Liu told malaysiakini that the old school is the only Chinese primary school on this side of Petaling Jaya.

He said that over 80 percent of the 200,000 who are living in Petaling Jaya's Section 11 to Section 21, Damansara Kim and Damansara Jaya are Chinese, and the old school is the only Chinese primary school in the area.

"We hope the government will listen to the demands of people and re-open the old school," he said.

He urged the authorities to re-open the Damansara school on the same day that the new school in Tropicana is opened.

The new school in Tropicana, which has 36 classrooms, was build in a record time of seven months and was fully financed by the government.