Confucian secondary to be built in Taman Puncak Jalil

Source From : The Star

Thursday February 28, 2008

Confucian secondary to be built in Taman Puncak Jalil

PETALING JAYA: A Chinese-medium secondary school will be built in Taman Puncak Jalil making it the first such institution for the Serdang and Puchong area.

Yesterday, developer Talam Corporation and the Confucian secondary school management insisted MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting attend the signing ceremony for the transfer of a piece of land.

Talam is contributing more than a hectare for SMJK Confucian – with construction work expected to start in three months.

“We invited Datuk Seri Ong because he played a major part in the whole process,” said Talam executive director Chua Kim Lan yesterday.

Chua related how Ong had requested Talam executive chairman Tan Sri Chan Ah Chye in 2003 to search for a piece of land to relocate Chinese schools in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

At that time, one of Ong’s main concerns was the over-crowded Confucian school in Kuala Lumpur. Both independent and secondary school shared the same compound.

“After a few years, we found a site in Serdang. It was agriculture land belonging to individuals,” said Chua after the signing ceremony in Seri Kembangan.

She said Talam bought the land, converted the status and allocated more than a hectare to the school. In January, it obtained the grant title approval from the Petaling Jaya land office.

Asked about the timing for the signing ceremony, Chua said it was definitely not an election gimmick.

“We only managed to get the grant title in January. Then there was some paperwork to be finalised before we could transfer the title to the school board today,” she said.

Ong, in his speech, thanked Talam, saying the project was “very close to my heart”.

“Having this school here will ease the overcrowding in the school in Kuala Lumpur. Folk in Serdang and Puchong also do not have to send their children all the way to the city.

“They can save time and don't have to pay so much for transportation. This is a big relief for them,” said Ong, adding that there were about 800 students from these two areas studying in Chinese-medium secondary schools in other districts.

The president also found an organisation willing to undertake the construction of the 58-classroom premises at RM10mil.

“The organisation and its owner wish to remain anonymous. Let’s work fast to get the school ready because the people have waited a long time,” said Ong.

Ong has tasked Seri Kembangan incumbent assemblyman and MCA Serdang division chairman Datuk Liew Yuen Keong to oversee the construction work.

Liew said students could enrol in about a year.

Earlier in Kuala Lumpur, Ong urged voters in Seputeh to vote for Carol Chew Chee Lin who is contesting the Seputeh parliamentary seat as she had the vision and the eagerness to learn.

“Carol is very active and I have seen her many times, during activities organised by the party as well as from watching her leading Beliawanis (Wanita MCA Young Women's Bureau) with much enthusiasm,” said Ong during a lunch organised by the Pertubuhan Penyayang Sunlight Kuala Lumpur & Selangor yesterday.