Tuesday February 19, 2013

Najib to open SJKC Tudan tomorrow while in Miri

MIRI: The official opening of the RM6mil SJKC Tudan here by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tomorrow will re-affirm the ground for the establishment of the school and the practice and promotion of the 1Malaysia concept.

The ground-breaking ceremony for the school was performed on Aug 30, 2001 by the then Deputy Education Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim, and on Jan 3, 2007 it opened its doors.

Despite being a Chinese school, more than half (52%) of its 1,267 students are bumiputras.

“The majority of the bumiputra students are Ibans whose families live in Permyjaya,” the principal, Chong Yuen Kheng, told Bernama yesterday.

Chong who has been the principal since Jan 7, 2009, said the present ethnic composition of the students was unique and the trend would likely to continue due to the booming population in Permyjaya.

“We hope that when the prime minister comes, he would announce a big gift for us,” he said, adding that their wish list included money for a new building.

“We have submitted for approval a proposal to the Education Department to build a three-storey building housing 12 classrooms.”

In addition, he said, the school had also asked for allocation for maintenance and construction of students’ toilets at a cost of about RM1.6mil.

He said the school was establish with lots of help from SUPP’s senior leaders, some of whom are members of the its board.

The board comprises former deputy chief minister and ex-SUPP president Tan Sri Dr George Chan; Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister and SUPP president Datuk Seri Peter Chin; the party’s publicity and information secretary Datuk Sebastian Ting; Communication Assistant Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin; and some corporate figures.

Ting, who is also the board’s secretary, said the school was proof that SUPP had never failed the Chinese when it came to education.

He said SUPP had successfully obtained two licences to open SJK(C) Chung Hua No.6 in Kuching and SJKC Tudan out of nine new licences that were issued.

“This proves that SUPP is serious about Chinese education and our dream of establishing a Chinese primary school materialised when SJKC Tudan started operating in 2007,” he said.

Ting, who is also Chin’s political secretary, said it also showed that the Government was very supportive of the development of vernacular schools in Sarawak.

Najib is scheduled to open the school at 5pm, after which he will attend a Chinese New Year dinner at Eastwood Valley Golf and Country Club. — Bernama

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Tuesday February 19, 2013

Najib to open SJKC Tudan tomorrow while in Miri