Maszlee: Decision to halt building SJKCs final

PETALING JAYA: The decision to halt construction of the new Chinese vernacular schools (SJKCs) is final, said Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik.

He said it was the official decision of the ministry and that construction of the primary schools will be based on national interests.

“The ministry will implement the relocation plans of the six schools and will look objectively at the construction of the schools based on our current financial situation and transparency issues,” he said in a statement yesterday.

However, he said that the two schools which have already performed their groundbreaking can carry on with construction.

Dr Maszlee was commenting on the issue of the 10 new SJKC construction projects and the transfer of six SJKCs with low enrolment that the previous Barisan government approved in October last year.

He also hit back at MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, who claimed that the newly-appointed minister’s move of halting construction had gone against the wishes of many Malaysians.

Dr Wee said on Thursday that the financial considerations reason given by Dr Maszlee to justify the move was “lame” and claimed that the approval for the 10+6 schools by former education minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid were based on well-founded studies on the people’s education needs.

Dr Maszlee said he wanted to have a look at the study that Dr Wee mentioned. “I invite Dr Wee to show me the study so that the ministry can examine it in detail,” he said.