60 Tamil schools to get a facelift in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, May 26 (ANI): Reports indicate that the Malaysian government is planning to rebuild 60 Tamil schools in the country, many with new buildings.

The schools would be given a facelift under the second phase of the Government's Tamil school redevelopment programme, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu told The Star Online.

He was speaking after visiting the partially-burnt Selangor River Tamil school in Kuala Selangor with Datuk S.K. Devamany, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department.

There are about 525 Tamil schools in the country, with more than 300 falling under the partially-aided government schools category.

Samy Vellu said that on the Selangor River Tamil school, RM 650,000 had been set aside by the Government for a new building with six to seven classrooms.

He also visited the Batang Berjuntai Tamil school in the Ijok constituency to follow-up on the rebuilding of the school, for which the Government had allocated RM 1.5 million.

The fund was approved by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when he visited the school during the Ijok by-election in 2007.

Samy Vellu said that the MIC would continue to ensure the progress of Tamil schools with assistance from the Government. (ANI)