Kuala Lumpur, Jan 13 – MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel has given an assurance that Tamil schools facing low enrolment would not be closed down.
He said such schools would instead, be relocated to areas with a higher density of the Indian population.
“This is the government’s promise to the Indian community…not a single Tamil school will be closed down.
“In fact, MIC will create more awareness so that more parents would send their children to Tamil schools,” he told reporters after distributing Pongal items to residents of Sri Pahang flats in Bukit Bangsar here Sunday.
Palanivel was responding to a question on the declining number of students in Tamil schools.
The number of students enrolled in Tamil schools has declined from about 97,000 last year to 92,000 this year.
Palanivel, who is also natural resources and environment minister, stressed that his party would ensure the continued progress of the country’s 523 Tamil schools.
“The construction of seven new national-type Tamil primary schools will begin soon,” he said without elaborating on the time-frame.
In another development, Palanivel said he would meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to discuss the possibility of the Indian community acquiring land for agriculture and farming.
Malaysia’s Tamil community will celebrate Pongal (harvest festival) on Tuesday.
– Bernama
