PETALING JAYA: Regent International School, which is occupying the former St Thomas secondary school building in Kuantan, is willing to change its name to resolve the controversy on the renaming of the missionary school.
Deputy Education Minister Datuk P. Kamalanathan has spoken to the international school officials, who have expressed their willingness to rename it St Thomas International School.
He said the ministry was waiting for the international school to apply for the change of name.
“We have no issue if the international school wants to use the St Thomas name. This can be done. They have to put in the application to change the name,” he said.
It is learnt the school is waiting for landowner St Thomas Church to give it the go-ahead to change the name.
The school has also yet to officially write to the ministry to address the issue.
However, Save St Thomas school ad hoc committee chairman Abdul Rahman Abdul Razak (pic), 56, said changing the name to St Thomas International School would have no bearing on the efforts of the old boys to have the two new schools to be built in Kemunting to be named as SK St Thomas and SMK St Thomas.
“The changing of name from Regent to St Thomas does not fit into the identity of the schools.
“We did not study in the international school,” he said.
The old boys, he said, prefer the primary and secondary schools which are sharing facilities at SK Teruntum and SMK Sultan Abu Bakar since 2014 to be moved back to their old premises.
“But if this cannot be done, at least let the two new schools in Kemunting be named after St Thomas.
“This is our humble appeal to the authorities. We know the Government as the landowner has the right to choose the name of the schools.
“But St Thomas is very close to our heart. It is our history and the pride of some 30,000 ex-students,” he said.
On Dec 3, Kamalanathan was reported saying that some people had jumped to conclusions and blamed the Government for proposing to rename the two new schools as Sekolah Mahkota Abdullah after the Tengku Mahkota of Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, who had studied there.
The land where the two schools stood was returned to the church following a legal tussle between the Government and the church in 2012.
A check showed that 24,374 people have signed the online petition to save St Thomas school at press time.
To sign the petition, go to http://chn.ge/2iXDnfM
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