524th Tamil school in Malaysia officially opened

The 524th Tamil school in the country, Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaaan Tamil (SRJKT) Paya Besar, was officially opened by Deputy Education Minister II, P. Kamalanathan, on Saturday.

The school, which was built at a cost of RM7.9 million, will begin its first session on Sunday with 17 teachers and 230 Year One to Year Five students.

Kamalanathan said the school was proof that it was not true the government favoured one community when approving the construction of schools, but said the decision was based on current needs and priorities.

He said the government had earlier approved the construction of several Tamil schools including a RM18.9 million school in Taman Keladi, Sungai Petani.

“This is because there are many Indian children in that location," he told reporters after the opening ceremony here.