The education minister has agreed to meet the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and Board of Governors of the 'endangered' SRJK (C) Damansara tomorrow after students of the school staged a 'sit-in' in front of the ministry headquarters this morning.

Cheras Member of Parliament Tan Kok Wai of DAP said he managed to meet Musa Muhammad for about 10 minutes after a two-hour wait with a hundred over affected people comprising parents, students and supporters.

"The minister has agreed to meet the PTA and Board of Governors of the school tomorrow to discuss the matter. As the minister has a positive attitude, we have decided to wait for the outcome of the meeting.

"The minister also said that he will meet the parents after the meeting with the school authorities," said Tan.

The 'sit-in' crowd in front of the ministry's premises at Block J, Pusat Bandar Damansara comprised 83 students, eight volunteer teachers and scores of parents with the police keeping watch from afar. Opposition politicians, including Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun and Keadilan leader Tian Chua, were also present to provide moral support.

Adviser to the action committee to maintain the old school Ronnie Liu said that they had decided to "change strategy" as all earlier attempts to get them to allow the children to remain in the school and not move to SRJK (C) Puay Chai (2) have been to no avail.

Volunteer teachers had been holding classes for the students in the school up until Friday when the school was sealed by police.

"This morning, when the children showed up for classes, they were locked out as the school had been sealed under a directive from the Ministry of Education. In actual fact, the Board of Directors has yet to surrender the school to the ministry," said Liu.

Unofficial letter circulated

Liu also expressed regret the minister's decision to meet the school authorities and parents separately.

"From what has been seen, the ministry has been misled into thinking that the students are faced with traffic danger due to the Sprint highway nearby and a polluted environment with no place for them to hold sports activities.

"Contrary to that, since the building of the Sprint highway, the school is much safer as the only adjoining road is the slip road and not the highway itself and there are trees around the school.

"The Department of Environment has confirmed that. Although they do not have a field, they have a badminton court in the newly built hall and also a basketball court," said Liu, referring to a press statement that was circulated by the minister's press secretary Bakhari Ariff.

The statement said that as the majority of students have moved, the remaining would have to move to Puay Chai (2) as well. The statement, unsigned and without a letterhead stated that the ministry believed the old school beside the highway was not a conducive environment for the children to study.

"Although the ministry says that the majority have moved to the other school, those who moved are not from the village. This school was built by the villagers over 70 years ago and it is the villagers who should have the last say," said Liu.

BA Selangor information chief Jonson Chong and SRJK (C) Damansara Old Boys' Association head Tommy Chin, who represented the parents in trying to meet the minister with Tan, said that they only managed to talk to the private secretary of deputy education minister Hon Choon Kim.

"We spoke with the private secretary Ho for two hours and explained the issue to him. All that the villagers want is their old school in the vicinity and not some multi-million dollar school away from their houses," Chong said.

He hoped that the authorities will listen to what the villagers are saying.

Temple grounds for classes

In an apparent protest against the relocation, more than 200 students had registered at the old SRJK (C) Damansara, Selangor, on the first day of the school term this year, defying instructions by the school authorities to register at SRJK (C) Puay Chai (2).

The authorities have promised that a new and bigger SRJK (C) Damansara will be built under the Eighth Malaysian Plan, which has yet to be passed.

On behalf of the action committee, Liu said that the children would continue their classes tomorrow in the village itself until the outcome of the meeting with the minister is known.

"We have identified a place for the children to hold classes temporarily until the issue is settled," said Liu, not naming the place. It is believed the classes will be held at a temple compound opposite the school.

Yesterday, about 1,000 former students of the school gathered at the temple grounds to reminisce and show support for the maintenance of the old school.