GEORGE TOWN: A total of 22 government-aided Tamil schools in Penang will receive new furniture and equipment worth RM1.156mil under an initiative by the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra), aimed at improving learning conditions for thousands of pupils statewide.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the allocation, provided through Mitra under the Human Resources Ministry, would benefit all government-aided Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) in Penang.
"The procurement and distribution process will be carried out within the next one to two months. We have consulted the schools and identified the furniture and equipment they require," he said after handing over the approval letter for the construction of a new building for SJKT Rajaji here on Monday (June 15).
Wong said the RM1.156mil allocation would be used to replace ageing furniture and provide new equipment needed by schools to create a more conducive learning environment for pupils and teachers.
He described the initiative as part of ongoing efforts to improve facilities at Tamil vernacular schools nationwide.
At the same event, Wong highlighted the Federal Government's decision to increase maintenance allocations for Tamil schools across the country to RM50mil this year, up from about RM20mil previously.
He said the allocation, announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in January, matched the level provided during the Pakatan Harapan administration in 2018 and 2019.
"There are currently 527 Tamil schools nationwide. We are finalising the allocation for each school based on their needs and applications. We will not simply divide the funds equally because some schools are much larger than others," he said.
Meanwhile, Wong announced that approval had been granted for the construction of a new campus for SJKT Rajaji, ending years of uncertainty for the 76-year-old school.
The school, which currently has about 100 pupils, will be relocated to a 0.93ha site in Farlim, about 500m from its present location.
He said the project was expected to cost about RM8mil and would be fully funded by property developer Ideal Construction.
"If construction proceeds according to schedule and is completed within 18 months, we expect the school to begin operating at its new premises by the 2029 school session at the latest," he said.
Wong said the relocation would provide a more comfortable and spacious environment for pupils, particularly children from the surrounding Indian community, as the existing school had become increasingly cramped over the years.
Meanwhile the state government is committed to ensuring that all SJKT in the state have land of their own within the next few years, says state Tamil schools special committee chairman
Datuk Seri Sundarajoo Somu.
He said the state had already secured and registered land for five SJKT schools since the current committee took over three years ago, with efforts continuing for another five schools that have yet to obtain ownership of their sites.
"Our goal is to ensure that every SJKT in Penang has its own land. So far, we have successfully obtained and registered land for five schools, and there are another five schools that we are still working on.
"We believe we can achieve this within the next two to three years," he said after the handover ceremony.
Sundarajoo said the relocation of SJKT Rajaji demonstrated the state's commitment towards strengthening educational infrastructure for the Tamil school community.
He noted that the state government had contributed a 2.3-acre parcel of land for the project, while the construction cost would be borne by a private developer under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative and compliance commitments.
"This means the school can be built without imposing any financial burden on the state government," he said.
Sundarajoo added that the state planned to hold groundbreaking ceremonies for at least three Tamil school projects this year.
He also said efforts would resume on two long-delayed projects involving SJKT Sungai Bakap and SJKT Juru.
"These are among the projects we want to move forward as part of our commitment to improving facilities and learning environments for Tamil school pupils in Penang," he said.
