Media statement by M.Kula Segaran in Ipoh on Tuesday, 17^th May 2011:

Don't leave out Tamil Schools in nations progress. Blue print is needed for Tamil schools and the DAP is willing to have heart to heart talk with MIC

There are 523 Tamil schools in the country. In Perak alone there are 134. From our studies, it has come to our knowledge that 80 of the schools have less than 100 student enrollments. The remaining 54 can be considered safe as they each have over hundred students.

We are most concerned with the 80 schools as many are on danger list as their enrollment is small.

We need a blue print to chart very clear policies on the Tamil schools.

Presently the Federal and state Government are implementing and announcing policies on an ad hoc basis. As an example, the Perak State MIC Chairman Dato Veersangim has now announced that 4 areas have been identified where Tamil schools will be relocated to. These are i) Jelapang ii) Langkap iii) Taman Gaya iv) Tun Sambathan Sg. Siput.

From our investigations, we cannot ascertain where these 4 Tamil schools would be relocated to.

Can Veerasingam be more specific and reveal where actually are the lands already been identified and whether are the land measuring at least 5 acres as required by the Federal Education guidelines on building schools.

We are concerned that this announcement could just be an election gimmick and for mere publicity.

Many times previously statements have been made by MIC leaders on Tamil schools but at the end of the day, new schools have not been built.

Here are some examples.

In 2008, then MIC President said a new school would be built although there is no land available to build a school.

In Merllimau, Malacca, for over 20 years at every election, promise of relocating the Tamil school has been made.

Tamil schools are squatting on shop houses at Lukut since 2003.

At Ladang Brausnton, Jeram Kuala Selangor, a Tamil school is in a cinema.

In Kajang there is only 1 school for about 1800 students in about ? acre land, whereas in Bandar Mahkota Cheras, there 3 parcels of land measuring about 5 acres of land kept vacant and this land belongs to the Education Ministry. Why can't this land be given to Tamil schools?

Though the nation has achieved Merdeka for so many decades, many Tamil schools still don't have direct electricity and water supply.

In Perak there are over 17,000 students studying in Tamil schools, 9 000 in National schools and over 1500 in Chinese schools.

So over 60 % of Indians send their children to Tamil schools. This trend is also nationwide.

Over 70% of the Perak Tamil schools are located in the former estates where the enrolment is low. In most of these areas the Indians have moved to urban schools but there aren't enough Tamil schools in the urban areas. Clearly there is a miss match in the need of Tamil schools.

We urge the authorities to have a new mind set on Tamil school problem and address them in a holistic approach.

As a start, we ask MIC leadership to open their mind and meet the top leaders of DAP to discuss the Tamil schools issue and to work out a "win win proposal" for the community, which shall then presented as blueprint for Tamil schools to the federal government.

* M. Kula Segaran, DAP National Vice Chairman & MP for Ipoh Barat