The Penang state government has come under criticism for its proposal to shift the Poh Tey Secondary Girls School from its present place in Bagan Jermal to Sungai Dua in the southeast.

The proposal to move is widely seen in the ground as a denial of education opportunity to the Chinese community living in the northwest part of the Penang island.

The state's main opposition party DAP sees this proposal to relocate the school as another backtrack by the Barisan Nasional-led state government from its electoral promises.

Penang DAP secretary Danny Law Heng Kiang told malaysiakini that the Gerakan-led state government should fulfill its 2004 general election promise to build a new secondary school in the southeast area.

He insisted that the state government should maintain the Poh Tey school at its present site.

"Prior to the last election, Koh (Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon) had assured that his government would build a new Chinese secondary school in the southeast area, which at present does not have such school," said Law.

In fact the promise was not just made during the 2004 general election. Similar promise was also made during the 1999 general election.

In 1999, the then Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, then Education Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Koh was quoted in a local Chinese magazine Hong Yuan as promising to build a new secondary school in the southeast.

"They did not even mention then that a school in the northwest would be moved to fulfill the promise.

"Was it just another BN electoral gimmick?" asked Law.

Hardship to students

For years Chinese educationists groups have campaigned for a new government-aided Chinese secondary in the southeast area.

Penang has about 90 primary Chinese schools and a dozen secondary schools, mostly located in the island's northeast district.

The southeast area has seven primary Chinese schools located in Bayan Baru, Sungai Dua, Relau, Batu Maung and Pantai Jerjak.

The area is fastest growing zone on the island with the Chinese community making up at least 60 percent of the area population.

The state government has announced recently that the Poh Tey school would be shifted to an area near the Silver Jubilee Home in Sungai Dua, which houses senior citizens.

Law said the shift would deny high school education opportunity to Chinese school students who were living between Pulau Tikus/Waterfall and Teluk Bahang, which is located at the northwest tip of the island.

He said Poh Tey cater the education needs of these students, who had achieved moderate academic standards in primary schools.

Since the nearby Penang Chinese Girls High School is a selected school, which catered only for the best brains from Chinese primary schools, moderate students would not able seek secondary Chinese education nearer to their homes.

"They would now have to travel far to the city to seek education. The Chief Minister should be blamed for this.

"He waives the rights of the Chinese community to have a new secondary school in the southeast and causes hardship to students in the northwest," said Danny Law.