SEREMBAN: Tamil vernacular schools have set a benchmark for being among the cleanest educational institutions in the country, said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
Fadhlina said both she and her deputy Wong Kah Woh have been consistently impressed during their school visits.
"Based on our observations, these schools have no issues with cleanliness and boast very beautiful physical environments.
"How is this discipline of cleanliness so extraordinary?"
"That is why you have to tell the story of how you are able to maintain your school to be the cleanest in Malaysia," she said at the ground-breaking ceremony for SJKT Ladang Labu Division 4 at MVV City near here on Tuesday (July 14).
Fadhlina was also impressed by the excellent Bahasa Melayu skills of teachers and students at a Tamil school in Kuala Krai, Kelantan.
"When I visited them, none of the teachers or pupils spoke in the Kelantanese dialect and all of them were proficient in Bahasa Melayu.
"When I asked the headmaster about their good command of Bahasa Melayu, I was told that being Malaysians, they must lead by example and ensure the pupils had a good grasp of the language," she said.
She said during a visit to another Tamil school in Langkawi, she was again impressed by their command of the English language.
"Their command of the language was highly immersive.
"I saw the same during my visits to a few Tamil schools in Johor," she said, adding that the teachers also possessed exceptional teaching capabilities.
Fadhlina said that Tamil schools have since established a high benchmark, driving an increasing number of parents, especially from the community, to enrol their children in these institutions.
Earlier, Fadhlina congratulated the Negri Sembilan government, developer Matrix Concepts Holdings Bhd and the board of governors of SJKT Ladang Labu Div 4 for successfully relocating the school to the new smart and green township of MVV City.
She said apart from the commitment of all stakeholders, this showed that the cooperation between the federal and state governments was important for such efforts to succeed.
"I am very happy that the new school will be built within a year.
"As my deputy and I have also said in parliament, the Madani government will always preserve the existence of the vernacular schools as well as other types of schools according to provisions in the Education Act," she said.
Fadhlina said her ministry had also been working to revive the long-stalled construction of a Tamil school in Sungai Bakap, Nibong Tebal
"Last week I was told that the construction of the school should be completed within a year also," she said.
The new SJKT Ladang Labu Div 4 will be on 2.4ha of land and about 1km from its current location.
Matrix Concepts will contribute half the estimated RM9mil development cost.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had given RM2mil on behalf of the federal government while the remaining funding was successfully raised by the school board of governors.
Matrix Concepts group managing director Kelvin Lee said the project reflects its long-term commitment to building integrated townships where quality education and essential community facilities grow alongside residential and economic development.
"As we continue to develop MVV City, our vision has always been to create a complete and future-ready ecosystem where communities can grow, families can thrive, and future generations can access the facilities they need.
"The development of SJKT Ladang Labu Div 4 reflects this commitment, as education remains a fundamental pillar in shaping sustainable and meaningful communities," he added.
