The original SRJK (C) Damansara school, which has been closed for the past seven years despite strong objections from parents, was ‘reopened’ as the 2008 school session kicked off today.

But this ‘reopening’ only lasted for an hour - after another failed attempt by the Save Our School committee to negotiate with the authorities to let 35 students to remain studying in the school.

“I am very sad that the students can’t remain in the school to have their classes here,” a visibly upset committee chairperson Yong Yoke Sung told about 100 guests and students later.

“We are Malaysians and I hope with our non-confrontational approach, the Prime Minister (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) will be able to see it and reopen the school as soon as possible,” he added in his address at a school opening ceremony held at the school compound this morning.

The students then proceeded to their temporary school - in the form of containers - to start their new academic year.

Built in 1930, the Damansara school located at Section 17, Petaling Jaya is the only Chinese primary school in the area.

The school was relocated by the Education Ministry on Jan 2, 2001, ostensibly because it no longer provided a “conducive learning environment”. A new building in Tropicana, located several kilometres away from the original premises, was built later.

Refusing to move their children, some disgruntled parents and supporters formed the SOS committee and since then, classes have been conducted in air-conditioned containers placed in a neighbouring temple.

State rep’s intervention

But after a seven-year wait , the committee decided last month to notify the ministry and the Selangor state education department that it would use the original school - an abandoned building now - to conduct classes beginning this academic year.

While there was no official response from the authorities on the committee’s letter, a meeting between a state education department official and the committee yesterday over the reopening of the school was unsuccessful.

This morning, traditional Chinese lion dance greeted the students - including four new Year One students - and 10 teachers together with other guests who walked towards the school from the temple.

However, outside the locked school gate, Yong ( right ) informed the group that the authorities have barred them from entering the school compound and that he was making final efforts - including to contact BN’s MCA Petaling Jaya Utara MP Chew Mei Fun’s aides - for assistance.

While attempts were being made for the party to enter the school compound, the students broke into a medley of songs to keep up their spirit.

The locked gate was finally opened about 45 minutes later following the assistance rendered by Bukit Gasing state assemblyperson Dr Lim Thuang Seng in obtaining the appropriate approvals from the relevant authorities.

Seeking an amicable solution

Lim later told reporters that he spoke to the state education department director Hamidah Nordin, who was with Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein at the time, to get the approval for the students to enter the school to “symbolically” start the new school session.

“The government is looking into this issue and we certainly hope the issue will be solved amicably,” the Gerakan state representative. His Bukit Gasing constituency does not cover the school area but is located nearby.

Lim, who has been sympathetic to the committee’s cause, said the Damansara school should be reopened especially when the Tropicana school was already facing an overcrowded situation.

“I was given the understanding that there are 448 Year One students at the Tropicana school for this year and they have to turn away some of the students because of lack of class rooms.

“This reflects the population growth in this area and there is definitely a need for additional space to cater for this educational need,” he said.

“This building is in good condition and certainly it will save the government’s money (from building a new school). It certainly makes sense to use it to cater for the increased demands for space for school children,” he stressed.

The state assemblyperson also expressed hope that the Damansara school will not be turned into a political issue, especially in the coming general election.

Apart from Lim, guests who turned up this morning comprised of representatives from student groups and various Chinese-based associations, including the influential Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall president Bong Hon Liong.

No untoward incident was reported despite the presence of a handful of plainclothes and uniformed policemen, including one who carried a submachine gun.