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Govt allocated RM64.84 mil for Tamil schools says Komala

November 13th, 2007
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but she still did not answer the question on list of schools that are being helped. Is it on a ad-hoc basis based on first come first serve?

Anyway, it is well documented during the 9th Malaysian Plan (read it here, here or here) that  there's no specific mention on allocation for vernacular schools. Thus it is puzzling that suddenly there's an allocation of 64++ million for Tamil schools only. And on top of that another 100 million? Hmm…Does YSS know about this? Since they were involved in providing input to the plan way back in 2005 ?

UPDATE: According to NST report below, Komala mentioned that the RM100 million fund allocated was for government-aided schools – meaning chinese, tamil and religious schools. Furthermore, she said 163 schools received 11.6 million so far, meaning average of RM71165 per school.

TAMIL schools in the country are not left unaided as claimed by some politicians.

Education Ministry parliamentary secretary P. Komala Devi said the welfare of vernacular schools had never been neglected. Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, RM64.8 million had been allocated for the renovation, restoration and upgrading of Tamil schools.

A RM100 million fund has also been set up for government-aided schools. Komala said 163 Tamil schools had received RM11.6 million from this fund.

To a supplementary question by S.K Devamany (BN-Cameron Highlands), she said the fact that a budget had been allocated showed that no one had been sidelined.
“Schools and students are also given grants, food, free textbooks and tuition vouchers,” she said.

Gov't allocated RM64.84 mil for Tamil schools
source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/74740
Yoges Palaniappan
Nov 13, 07 6:20pm
The government has allocated RM64.84 million for fully-aided government Tamil schools under the Ninth Malaysian Plan, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Education Ministry G Komala Devi said on top of that, another RM100 million has also been allocated for these schools by the government.

"As of October, 163 government-aided Tamil schools have received RM11.6 million from the fund," she said.

Komala (BN-Kapar) was replying to a query from K Devamany (BN-Cameron Highlands) who asked the education minister to state the mid-term achievement of the Ninth Malaysian Plan on developing the infrastructure of Tamil schools.

In answering a supplementary question from Devamany, Komala said her ministry has an open mind and was always ready to assist all schools regardless of background and stream.

Opposition easily confused

Devamany asked if the ministry agreed with the accusation of a deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department that the government does not care about the welfare of Tamil schools in the country.

He was referring to PPP president M Kayveas who stated that the government has ignored the plight of Tamil schools.

Komala said the ministry, besides allocating funds for a school's physical development, also provides grants for all students including free text books and tuition vouchers.

M Kualasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat) asked Komala the reasons as to why the government has failed to provide the list of Tamil schools that will be built under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

"Once, the education minister said that no Tamil and Chinese schools will be built under the plan, but every time a question is raised, ministry officials say that RM64.8 million has been allocated for Tamil schools. Where are the schools being built?" Kulasegaran asked.

To this, Komala responded by saying that the opposition is often confused with statements issued by the government.

"Although we have issued many statements, the opposition often goes back to a particular statement that is no more in standing.

"I would like to stress here that the education minister has good relationship with Chinese leader (MCA president) Ong Ka Ting and Indian leader (MIC president) S Samy Vellu. Their views are often taken into consideration before any decision is made."

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Free schooling in Malaysia

November 12th, 2007
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When free is not so free actually. Abolishment of school fees will cost RM30 million as mentioned here.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said today that he was proud to mention that education in Malaysia is free when he spoke at Unesco's 34th general conference in Paris recently.

He said the people should regard the free education as the government's recognition of them and as such, should not deny their children education.

"At least be proud and convinced that the educational opportunity for our children is free," he told reporters at Parliament's lobby after winding-up debate for his ministry in Dewan Rakyat. – from Bernama

The schools students are grouped into A,B,C categories based on parent's income status. Thus the amount for MSSM, Insurance, and other facilities (computer labs, library, wakaf, cleanliness, etc.) will be based on the groups. A HM, a teacher, and a administrative staff I talked to have verified this.

So, to clarify, school fees and exam fees (UPSR, PMR, SPM, STPM) have been abolished, but all other fees will remain. That's a new definition of free schooling.

Guidelines on school charges

source

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Education Ministry has issued guidelines pertaining to the maximum amount in additional payments that schools can impose on students following the abolition of school fees from next year. 

Education director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom said the guidelines were only a reference and the amount was still at the discretion of the schools and the Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs). 

"The ministry has asked for the additional payments be set through discussions between the schools and the PTAs. We give guidelines on the ceiling level. 

"For example, RM2 for the Malaysian Schools Sports Council and RM1.50 for personal insurance. If a parent's income is quite low, they (the school and PTA) can lower the amount and give exemptions to those who cannot afford it, including the poor and single mothers," he told reporters after opening the state education exposition at the Terengganu Trade Centre here.  

According to the guidelines, additional payments are introduced for management purposes and each item proposed by the school must be approved the State Education Department, which will monitor all the payments. 

The additional payments have been categorised into three packages. 

Schools in Package A are those in the "high socio-economy" group where the majority of parents comprise big business people or civil servants in the professional group. Primary schools under Package A can impose additional charges up to RM38.50 and secondary schools RM55.50. 

Schools in Package B, for the "medium socio-economy" group, can charge a maximum of RM30.50 for primary schools and RM44.50 for secondary schools. 

The ceiling in Package C, schools in the "low socio-economy" group, is RM23.50 for primary schools and RM33.50 for secondary schools. – Bernama

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PM to get report on Tamil schools redevelopment

November 11th, 2007
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PM to get report on Tamil schools' redevelopment

BERNAMA

IPOH, Sun.:

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu will submit to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a detailed report on the redevelopment of the remaining Tamil schools which are in dire need of repair.

A similar report will also be forwarded to Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein for financial aid, he said after chairing a meeting of Tamil school headmasters and Parent-Teacher Associations’ chairmen here today.

“We have rebuilt 76 Tamil schools (of the 523 Tamil schools) in the past 20 years and many more need to be rebuilt,” said the Works Minister, adding that some schools needed immediate attention.

Samy Vellu said the report would have the names of the school that required repairs and the allocation needed.

He said there was an urgent need for more allocations to provide a better environment for teaching and learning in Tamil schools.

“I strongly believe the 76 Tamil schools that we have rebuilt have created a better learning environment and facilities.

“This has provided the students with better enthusiasm, knowledge and the strength to continue with their educational excellence and also to compete with other schools in their examinations,” he said.

Samy Vellu said between RM30 million and RM40 million would have to be spent on Tamil schools’ redevelopment before the Ninth Malaysia Plan ended.

“We are thankful to the government for the yearly allocation for this purpose,” Samy Vellu said, adding that some Tamil schools needed to be relocated to other places due to low student enrolment.

“We are targeting housing areas where there are sizeable number of Indian parents who wish to send their children to Tamil schools,” he said.

The minister said the MIC would continue to negotiate with the Education Ministry to ensure Tamil schools’ survival.

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khairy complains paper not deliver on deepavali

November 10th, 2007
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Khairy: Only the needy should enjoy subsidies
Andrew Ong
Nov 8, 07 4:08pm
source
Umno Youth has urged the government to revamp how it subsidises various areas of the economy in order to ensure that only the needy and deserving receive such privileges.

The Youth wing’s deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin said that at present every Malaysian enjoys government subsidies in areas such as electricity, water, fuel and essential food items.

In all, the government had to foot RM35 billion, or 25 percent of government income, lamented Khairy during the debate on economy and education at the Umno assembly today.

He said the present situation would cause wastages as subsidies have made certain commodities too cheap.

“Imagine: A pakcik on a motorbike pays RM1.92 for a litre of petrol. A towkay in a Mercedes-Benz pays the same price. Why? Why must we subsidise those who are already rich?” asked Khairy.

He said continuing government subsidy efforts would be a burden on the country’s finance in the long run and ways must be found for equitable distribution of subsidies.

Give warning before removing subsidies

But Khairy urged the government to give prior warning before removing subsidies so that the masses can prepare themselves.

“Please give a little bit of notice. Don’t wait until the 11th hour to make an announcement,” he said.

On education, Khairy said Umno Youth suggested that the government improves the standard of English classes in schools instead of using the language as a medium of instruction for science and maths.

Khairy said the objectives of teaching science and maths in English were noble but it had not achieved the desired results.

“It was supposed to improve the command of English. It was supposed to improve the performance of students in maths and English. Instead, their performance worsen,” said Khairy.

On Oct 30, Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein announced that the government would not force students sitting for public examinations to only use English in science and math.

The controversial move was first mooted by former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2002.

Be part of supply chain

On Malay entrepreneurs, Khairy said the Malays lack control of the supply chain and this explains their poor standing in various industries.

“Today is the first time the Umno president’s speech is not being read by the masses because a particular ethnic group controls the distribution line of newspapers and they are on holiday,” he said.

Khairy was referring to ‘no publication’ day of almost all the major newspapers in Peninsular Malaysia as it was the Deepavali holiday.

Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had yesterday delivered his annual presidential address yesterday but it was only carried in Utusan Malaysia, Kosmo and Oriental Daily today.

He was using this as an example of how the Malays are often at the bottom of the supply chain.

“If you look at the distribution network, all is control by a certain race. We have always allow this distribution network to be controlled by one race. Only today, we know the implication. This is because we did not control the distribution network.”

While he did not name the ethnic group which control the distribution network, it is an open secret that Indian Malaysians made up the majority of the newspaper vendors.

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SRK Tamil Ladang Bukit Jalil new site surrounded by proposed cemetery

November 9th, 2007
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This school became famous due to the frequent flood that happened (read more here and here) and the slack work by DBKL. The parents got together to repair the drains and other maintenance works. As usual, after highlighted in media, MIC and govt sprang into action. The education ministry provided alternative land…which turns out to be small (with no field) and surrounded by cemetery.

Now, try convincing me that all the speeches at UMNO Assembly yesterday about being "sensitive to others", "we are all Malaysians", etc. are really true.

Quoting PM's speech: "Malaysia is a nation for all races and there is a future for every citizen" and "Issues must be addressed on the basis of the interests of the nation and the Malaysian people as a whole."

More quotes: “We are ready to seek intelligent resolutions and win-win solutions when dealing with sensitive issues relating to race and religion,” he said.

Let's leave out the race issue (it being a Tamil school), and consider if any sane person would put a school in such a place. I'm being Malaysian and questioning the logic of this move. This really takes the cake: "When contacted, Kuala Lumpur City Hall said the plans for the cemetery reserve land had not been finalised and that so far no complaints had been received." Need to for complaint ahh..? Where's your common sense la? Makes one wonder what these people been eating for food!

From wet to eerie for Tamil school

By : Evangeline Majawat and Choong En Han
source

Proposed location of SRKT Ladang Bukit Jalil

KUALA LUMPUR: The joy of moving into a new and better school was short-lived when parents of the pupils found out the site will be on reserve land for cemeteries. 

Less than a month ago, the Education Ministry approved RM650,000 to build a new school for SRK (T) Ladang Bukit Jalil which had been hit by floods five times in September. But the site for the new school, which is about 1km away from the present site, is on a large plot of land reserved for burial grounds. Parents were initially enthusiastic when Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu announced the relocation on Oct 16, as the 60-year-old school was in a state of dilapidation, especially after the floods. "We were shocked to find out that the new school will be surrounded by cemeteries," Ladang Bukit Jalil resident action committee secretary Thiakarjan Sathasivam, 54, said.

"It's unthinkable how the authorities can allocate such a piece of land. How do they expect the children to learn in such an environment?" To make matters worse, space is limited as the new school building would be alongside a temple on a 0.4ha plot. This is small in comparison to the surrounding burial grounds. The cemetery reserve land will be segmented according to the different religions: two cemeteries for Muslims (9.6ha); Buddhists (3.3ha); Christians (0.5ha); Hindus (0.4ha); and other religions (0.17ha). A detention centre will stand in the midst of the Muslim burial ground. "The land is so small, and shared with a temple too. There is also no field for the children to play." Thiakarjan said that the authorities should allot at least 5ha for the new school building. "The dead should be respected and a school should not be placed in the midst of dead people."

A parent, who declined to be named, is worried of the effect on the pupils. "No parent would want to send their children to study in such a setting. "Psychologically, the kids will be affected. These children seem to be discriminated because of their simple background," said the mother of two.

When contacted, Kuala Lumpur City Hall said the plans for the cemetery reserve land had not been finalised and that so far no complaints had been received. A visit to the present school site by New Straits Times found that the construction of the detention centre was under way. The empty plot beside the school was full of rubbish and a breeding ground for vectors.

Yasotharan Rajandren, 11, a pupil of SRK (T) Ladang Bukit Jalil said it was common for snakes and rats to enter the classroom. Yasotharan also said mosquitoes were abundant in the area. Flats and an upcoming gated community lie on the fringes of the proposed burial grounds.

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