Yet another school in trouble. And more bullet for opposition to hit Koh. Already Gerakan is being boycotted by Indians for no fielding even one Indian candidate. Well, lets wait for Samy Vellu to come to the rescue. More funds for the school will be promised. Then the parents can wait till next election in 2013.
Koh fails to stop – just looks and goes
http://malaysiakini.com/news/79042
Gerakan acting president Dr Koh Tsu Koon passed up an opportunity to stop and listen to protesters when he whizzed past a demonstration in Sungai Jawi, Seberang Perai, yesterday.
More than 200 residents had been protesting against the Barisan Nasional (BN) since 10am, for failing to expand a Tamil school in Valdor despite an appeal dating back 20 years.
Carrying banners and placards, they were chanting anti-BN slogans when Koh passed the area in his four-wheel drive about 11am.
They shouted for him to stop and hear them out, but Koh – contesting his first parliamentary seat in Batu Kawan which covers the Valdor area – ignored the calls and drove on by. Minutes later, his DAP rival P Ramasamy as well as PKR Bukit Tambun state candidate Law Choo Kiang dropped by [hmm…how convenient!] . They agreed to take up the matter with the relevant authorities after the general election.
The protest drew support from passing motorists and curious onlookers.
When police arrived at about 11.30am in a four-wheel drive, the protesters refused to disperse. Personnel wearing helmets and wielding batons [to attack the parents? they are in their own living area, not at KLCC or Parliment!] then took up position in front of them. However, the residents stood firm, telling the police to understand their predicament and to allow them to continue with their protest. Following pleas by several police officers, they dispersed at about noon. “We cannot allow them to hold a protest illegally,” explained an officer, who advised the residents to obtain a permit in future. Retorted a resident: “We will apply for a permit, but will the police issue one for us to protest against the BN [cannot get la, not registered body!]? We want a new school for our children, not a police permit to hold demonstration.”
‘No more patience’
SRJK (T) Valdor Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) chairperson N Tiagarajan said some 500 residents have lost patience with ‘incompetent’ BN leaders at state and federal levels, saying they have not kept their promise to rebuild the school.
“These residents have been BN voters. Now they will vote for the opposition because they are fed up with BN for neglecting the Indians here,” he told reporters.
This was reflected in the Bahasa Malaysia and Tamil slogans on the placards, translated as:
- What happened to the promises made by Najib and Koh in 1997 and 2004?
- How many more elections do we have to wait?
- We will protest until the promises are fulfilled.
- Don’t cheat the people of Valdor.
- We want what is rightfully ours.
The school was built about 100 years ago to cater to estate children initially. Located on a 0.1ha site, it now has an enrolment of 250. Resident G Irulappan, 40, said there is a need to extend the building and improve the facilities. “Many residents have been compelled to send their children to national and Chinese vernacular schools for primary education. If the government had allotted a bigger piece of land and rebuilt the school, we would not be facing this problem,” he said. “The BN wants our votes but refuses to solve our problems. At least the DAP has been voicing our plight in the state assembly and Parliament.”
It was claimed that Najib Abdul Rajak, as education minister in 1997, and Koh during the 2004 general election, had promised the residents that the government would rebuild the school building. However, nothing was done despite the submission of several memoranda and meetings with the authorities. [yeah right! talk to us, use the system, work with us…now what happened? no wonder the community gave life to HINDRAF]
“Two years ago, our children were studying under a tree. We had to raise money to build extra classrooms because Koh and the BN government failed to help us,” said resident, M Sivakumar, 36. The PTA then undertook to raise RM50,000 to extend the building.