As more than 1,300 students of SJK (C) Damansara started school today in their spanking new premises in Tropicana, Selangor, it would seem that the controversy of their relocation had died a natural death.

The students have been 'squatting' in SJK (C) Puay Chai II since January when their school was sealed off by police following an Education Ministry directive ordering for their transfer.

Certainly, the Education Ministry considered the matter over. Deputy Minister Hon Choon Kim who visited the school today said with the completion of the new building, the ministry's concern will be with the running of the school.

However, to the defiant 74 students who had refused to move and have been continuing their classes at a temple near the original building for more than 261 days now, the issue is still a daily concern as the authorities have yet to provide an acceptable explanation as to why the 70-year-old school had to be abandoned.

"They have their right; whether they want to move in (or not) is up to them. To me, the chapter is closed," Hon said of the 74 students.

Hon added that the ministry would not stop any students, including those who stayed at old site, from registering with the new school which has 36 classrooms and can cater for a maximum of 3,000 students.

The headmistress, Ong Siew Lye, told reporters that there are 670 students in the morning session and 700 students in the afternoon.

'Non-issues'

The construction of the school, which came to about RM1.1 million, is a historic first in Malaysia's Chinese education movement, as the governors, parents and the public did not have to pay a single sen for it, Hon stated.

All other Chinese primary schools have been built funded by the Chinese community, with what they regard as their "second income tax".

"Although many quarters are suspicious of whether the location is suitable for a school, especially with the steep slope, and surrounding high-tension wire, today however proves that all these were non-issues," said Hon.

Hon said various quarters, including the ministry's officers, board of governors, contractors and the parents, have helped to smooth over the process of the relocation.

The treasurer for the board of governors, who only wanted to be known as Lee, said the school would welcome back to its fold, unconditionally, the 74 students who have been studying at the temple.

"We will help them if they face any problems from the Education Ministry," he said.

Soldier on

In return, the secretary for Save Our School Committee, Tommy Chin, said they hope the governors will come back to the old site to support their fight to preserve the original school.

"The students will not go to the new school, and their parents insist on re-opening the old school," said Chin, who had led two SOS members to present a bouquet to Ong this morning to congratulate the school on its new building.

Sources said the board of governors were initially worried that the protest against the closure of the original building would hamper the construction of the new building. They had promised to assist the students who remained at the temple after the opening of the new school.

For the students, nothing has changed this morning as they trooped into cargo-containers that have been their classrooms-cum-school for the past months.

" Pak Si Bo Chau ," Yoong Yoke Sung, a Damansara villager said in Hokkien, translated as "we would not move even if we were beaten to death".

Yoong said with the tremendous support of the public, they have persevered in their cause for a total of 261 days.

He also claimed that without the efforts of the Damansara villagers throughout the past nine months, the construction of the new school would not have been speeded up.

Volunteer teacher William Thye said the teachers will soldier on even if there is only one student left.

"We fully support the opening of the new school, but whatever new school built should not be an excuse to close down the old school," he said.

Getting an impressive building of the new school cannot justify denying a community's need of a school, Thye added, drawing the analogy that "a home is not necessarily a bungalow".

The new premises will be officially opened on Monday.