In an apparent protest against moving to another school and to preserve the old school, more than 200 students registered at SRJK (C) Damansara, Selangor, this morning, defying instruction by the school authorities to register at SRJK (C) Phui Choy (2) in Damansara Utama.

There were no teachers at the old school today; only the headmistress and Selangor State Education Department officials were present.

Accompanied by their parents and guardians, the students who are mostly Chinese with a sprinkling of other races ranging from Year One to Six, mostly came from the neighbourhood, which also boasts a few commercial highrises.

Yesterday, education officials met with parents and members of the action committee to preserve the school and it was agreed that education officers would register the students who want to stay on.

However, it was merely a registration exercise as the officers did not say that the students will not later be asked to move to SRJK (C) Phui Choy (2), where the teachers have been instructed to report to.

MCA and DAP presence

While the registration was taking place, a group of five policemen stood watch over another 200 people, comprising parents of former students, villagers and members of political parties, MCA and DAP.

Also present to provide moral support to preserve the school was Petaling Jaya Utara member of Parliament Chew Mei Fun from MCA.

A banner stating, " Kami tidak mahu menumpang di sekolah orang. Kami mahu sekolah ini dikekalkan (we do not want to squat in other people's school. We want this school to be preserved)" was hung outside the school.

The crowd had gathered outside the gates of the school to show support to parents who accompanied their children to be registered.

At present, the 70-year-old building sits on a 0.8 acre land and is said to have a population of 1,400 students.

It was promised a 5.6 acre land in Tropicana for relocation - 15 to 20 minutes' drive away - just before the last general elections in 1999. However, up till today, the new school has yet to be built as it is supposed to be under the forthcoming Eighth Malaysia Plan.

Meanwhile, the board of directors and State Education Department have instructed all students to move to another school, SRJK (C) Phui Choy (2) in Damansara Utama.

The reasons given were congestion and that the safety of the students is at stake with the new Sprint highway that runs near the school ( [#1]Villagers want school preserved[/#] , Jan 2).

A Chinese daily website Sinchew-i.com reported the Action Committee to Preserve the School chairperson Ronnie Liew as having said that the relocation of the pupils had connections with a corporate company's vested interests. In the same article, the Parent-Teachers Association chairperson was reported to have said that he might take legal action against Liew for the statement.

"Actually, what I said is that the villagers are suspicious of the way the pupils were asked to move," Liew told malaysiakini .

Built on villagers' sweat

It is apparent that the school is more than bricks and mortar to the community. A member of the action committee, Lee Sang, 64, showed malaysiakini a copy of the school magazine which was published in conjunction with its 70th anniversary.

Showing pictures of the school when it was just a wooden hut, Lee said that the villagers built the school with their sweat and have put in a lot of money to make it into what it is today.

"Look at it. It is newly painted and has even a new library," said Lee with pride.

There were also awnings built all along outside of the school to shield the school children from rain and sun.

Lee said that the school authorities have tried many times to get the parents to sign an agreement to move to Phui Choy (2) in "deceitful ways".

"They sent a circular just before the last holidays, telling parents to send their children to the new school in Tropicana. In that circular there was much praise for the new school in Tropicana.

"The reply slip gave no choice on the matter and said that the parents have to sign to agree to send the children to Tropicana. The reality is the Tropicana school has yet to exist."

Lee Sang alleged that some parents were duped into signing.

Chinese education body Dong Zong chief executive officer Bock Tai Hee said that the school authorities also tried to get parents to sign a note stating that they will send their children to SRJK (C) Damansara until the school in Tropicana is completed.

"We managed to get the school authorities to remove the clause, 'Until the school in Tropicana is completed'. This is so as to preserve the present school, even when the one in Tropicana is completed," said Bock

A grandmother's indignance

One grandmother who came to see her granddaughter enrol in Year One said that there is no way they will move to the other school.

"There is a reason why this school has been developed by us villagers. This school is part of our community here in this village. My children attended it and I want my grandchildren to attend it as well.

"Who is going to send my grandchild all the way to Damansara Utama? Why should we go and squat in other people's school when we have a properly built school of our own?" said the grandmother, who only wanted to be known as Lim.

Liew, who is also the DAP publicity secretary, said that despite the more than 200 students registering today to stay back, there is no guarantee that the authorities will preserve the school.

"The education officials said that they will get back to us tomorrow. They do not want to say anything on whether the school will be preserved or whether they will send teachers to the school tomorrow," he said.

However, Liew assured those present that he will monitor the situation to make sure the school is preserved and the children's education not disrupted.