SEREMBAN: The decade-long push to relocate the ageing SJKT Ladang Labu Division 4 has finally borne fruit after renowned property developer Matrix Concepts Holdings Bhd agreed to fund half of the relocation and building cost.
The new school will cost almost RM9mil to build.
School board of governors chairman R. Navajeevan, who was a former pupil, said the current building, which was constructed before Merdeka, suffered from infrastructure issues and lacked facilities, not even having a proper canteen.
"Apart from a low enrollment of about 20 students, we have had problems with termites as well as other infrastructure problems, which were not conducive to teaching and learning.
"The student population dwindled after estate workers moved out some time ago," he said when met after the signing of a memorandum of collaboration between Matrix Concepts and the board.
Navajeevan said the school used to have up to 300 pupils in its early days as it served a huge estate population.
He also extended his gratitude to Matrix Concepts for agreeing to finance the relocation and construction.
Phase one of the new school, which will be built on a 2.4ha plot of land about 1km away from the existing building in the Malaysian Vision Valley (MVV) in Bandar Sri Sendayan, will among others have a four-storey academic block with 12 classrooms.
It will also be equipped with science and computer rooms, a library, pre-school facilities, administrative offices, a multipurpose hall, a canteen, a field, a guardhouse and supporting educational amenities.
Construction for Phase One is targeted for completion by October 2027.
Matrix Concepts Holdings Berhad co-chief executive officer Tan Sze Chee said the initiative reflects the group's ongoing commitment towards building sustainable and inclusive communities beyond physical development.
"We are happy to support the relocation of the school from its early beginnings within a small estate community to now, a larger and more conducive environment that we hope will continue to grow and thrive in the years ahead.
"We believe meaningful townships are built not only through infrastructure, but through the strength of the communities and institutions that grow within them, with education remaining an important pillar in shaping future generations," she said.
Beyond supporting the relocation of the school, Tan said the collaboration reflects a broader effort to ensure that educational and community infrastructure continue to evolve alongside the rapid growth taking place within the MVV corridor.
MVV City is the first integrated township within the corridor, covering 952.8ha, designed as a balanced ecosystem that will bring together 400ha of industrial land, more than 15,000 homes, and 69.6ha (174 acres) of industrial and commercial space.
State local government, housing and transport committee chairman J. Arul Kumar, who witnessed the signing ceremony, also commended Matrix Concepts for its commitment.
“Matrix Concepts had previously contributed to the building of national and vernacular schools in Bandar Sri Sendayan, apart from many other initiatives for the local community," he noted.
Arul Kumar added that there was also a pressing need for another Tamil vernacular school in the Bandar Sri Sendayan and surrounding areas following a spike in population.
"Data shows that some 20% of buyers in the 4,000-house Tiara Sendayan project alone are Indians.
"There is also no more space in the two-session SJKT Bandar Sri Sendayan, which is the other Tamil school in the area, as it already has some 700 pupils," he said.
