For 2,926 days, the KL and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) has been diligently updating a board that marked the number of days the Damansara Chinese primary school remained closed.

Now that the school has been re-opened , the association removed the board in an official ceremony today. The board was put up on a balcony at the KLSCAH building on March 27, 2001, the year the school was closed down.

sos damansara scah signboard takedown ceremony 070109 12 "We should really be proud that we did the right thing in putting up the board in the first place as a support to the Damansara Primary School," said KLSCAH President Bong Hon Liong, in a speech at the ceremony.

He pointed out that the board was not only a gentle reminder for the public to continue their fight in re-opening the school, but also served to remind those who had played a part in closing down the school that the issue was far from settled.

SJK(C) Damansara, now known as SJK(C) Chung Hwa Damansara, was closed down on Jan 3, 2001 due an alleged inability to provide a comfortable learning environment for students due to traffic congestion, noise and air pollution from the neighbouring Sprint Highway.

A stressful time

It has been a long eight-year battle for the Save Our School Committee (SOS) and the KLSCAH.

sos damansara scah signboard takedown ceremony 070109 05 "KLSCAH has had three different presidents throughout these eight years. Many had asked us to bring down the board during this period and it was a stressful time for all three of us presidents," Bong said.

"However, we managed to stand by our pledge that the board would stay till the very day Damansara Primary School would re-open."

Around 100 guests attended the ceremony today which was held in the KL and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall. Students from the Confucius Independent Secondary School and the Malaysia Youth and Students Democratic Movement performed during the ceremony.