Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk T. Murugiah has expressed shock at the plight of some 120 pupils of a Tamil school in Lukut near here.
Murugiah, who made an unscheduled stop at SJKT Ladang Singai Salak yesterday, was dismayed to see the pupils studying in cramped conditions in two rented, double-storey shoplots.
“This looks like a fire-trap, it certainly doesn’t look like a school to me. I will do whatever I can to help them move to a better place,” he said.
Not an ideal location: It may not be that old but the two double-storey shophouses in Lukut cannot be a conducive learning place and certainly not a place to call school for the 120 pupils of SJKT Ladang Sg Salak.
The school was previously located in Siliau but was moved when its student population dwindled. It was then allowed to squat at SJKT Bandar Springhill for two years.
It was moved to its present location when the student population increased.
Parents, when met outside the school, also expressed hope that the authorities would help to relocate the school.
Murugiah said the school was unable to accept more students as there was no space for expansion. It has been operating from the shoplots for the last two years.
Murugiah said he would consult with Deputy Education Minister Datuk Wee Ka Siong on the possibility of moving the school to a plot reserved for another Tamil school.
It is learnt that the other Tamil school, at the seventh kilometre of Jalan Pantai, was supposed to have moved to the plot but the plan was aborted.
“I will appeal to the Education Ministry to allow this school to be moved there,” he said.
July 29, 2009
July 23, 2009
Shame on spectators for booing our boys
I WAS among the many who watched the Manchester United-Malaysia football match at Bukit Jalil last Saturday. I think the Malaysian boys did us proud that night and I found myself rooting for our national team despite being a Manchester United supporter.
What disappointed me though was the attitude of the Malaysian spectators. Not cheering for the national team is one thing but to boo them is quite another. Countless times, when a Malaysian player misplaced a pass, the stadium would start ringing with boos and taunts for the players to “balik lah”. When our two-goal hero Amri Yahyah was substituted, only a handful of spectators stood up to applaud him off.
Many of them didn’t even recognise who was the one who dragged Malaysia back into the game. Even our national team coach Rajagopal said he was disappointed with the lack of support for our players.
The same happened when the Malaysian players applauded the crowd after the match. The ovation granted to our players was relatively minuscule compared to that when the United team sat down for a warm-down.
Of course, I realise Manchester United are the main draw here, but this is our country for crying out loud! We see letters in The Star all the time criticising the national team but when they finally do us proud, where is the support?
Are Malaysians not patriotic enough to put country before club – a foreign club 6,000 miles away at that?
What disappointed me though was the attitude of the Malaysian spectators. Not cheering for the national team is one thing but to boo them is quite another. Countless times, when a Malaysian player misplaced a pass, the stadium would start ringing with boos and taunts for the players to “balik lah”. When our two-goal hero Amri Yahyah was substituted, only a handful of spectators stood up to applaud him off.
Many of them didn’t even recognise who was the one who dragged Malaysia back into the game. Even our national team coach Rajagopal said he was disappointed with the lack of support for our players.
The same happened when the Malaysian players applauded the crowd after the match. The ovation granted to our players was relatively minuscule compared to that when the United team sat down for a warm-down.
Of course, I realise Manchester United are the main draw here, but this is our country for crying out loud! We see letters in The Star all the time criticising the national team but when they finally do us proud, where is the support?
Are Malaysians not patriotic enough to put country before club – a foreign club 6,000 miles away at that?
Hard to cope with increase in food prices
Ninety-five per cent of families in the country are finding it hard to cope with the rise in food prices.
National Population and Family Development Board director-general Datuk Aminah Abdul Rahman said this was revealed in an opinion research survey conducted in 2008 on the impact of inflation on families.
“Some 44% of women in the lower-income group also said that misunderstandings arose over finances due to the increase,” she said in her speech after launching a family finance management programme here yesterday.
Aminah said there were also complaints of harassment from loan sharks and bank warnings issued to families for failing to pay their loans just because they did not know how to manage their finances.
Participants of the programme learnt to differentiate between their wants and needs when managing their household budget.
Family Development Department head Fauwas Hasbullah said the programme was organised to educate the public on how to live within their budget without having to borrow from loan sharks.
“Through interactive activities, participants get to play the role of a family member and learn how to manage money as a family,” he said.
The programme will be held nationwide until the end of this year with the help of Bank Negara’s Counselling and Credit Management Agency.
A participant, Syahizwan Osman, 25, said the programme taught him how to manage his income in an orderly manner.
“It will take some time for me to change but this programme is a kick-start for me to make changes in my lifestyle one step at a time,” he said.
TS
National Population and Family Development Board director-general Datuk Aminah Abdul Rahman said this was revealed in an opinion research survey conducted in 2008 on the impact of inflation on families.
“Some 44% of women in the lower-income group also said that misunderstandings arose over finances due to the increase,” she said in her speech after launching a family finance management programme here yesterday.
Aminah said there were also complaints of harassment from loan sharks and bank warnings issued to families for failing to pay their loans just because they did not know how to manage their finances.
Participants of the programme learnt to differentiate between their wants and needs when managing their household budget.
Family Development Department head Fauwas Hasbullah said the programme was organised to educate the public on how to live within their budget without having to borrow from loan sharks.
“Through interactive activities, participants get to play the role of a family member and learn how to manage money as a family,” he said.
The programme will be held nationwide until the end of this year with the help of Bank Negara’s Counselling and Credit Management Agency.
A participant, Syahizwan Osman, 25, said the programme taught him how to manage his income in an orderly manner.
“It will take some time for me to change but this programme is a kick-start for me to make changes in my lifestyle one step at a time,” he said.
TS
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