Penang March 17-The construction of the yet-to-be-started Sungai Bakap Tamil School in Seberang Perai Selatan District will commence soon, announced Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek. She made this statement while attending a cheque handover event for RM 300,000, granted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to Subramaniya Bharathi Tamil School.
She further stated that a legal case regarding financial mismanagement of the school’s construction funds is still pending in court. However, the case is expected to be concluded by May this year. Following the verdict, the government and the Ministry of Education will proceed with the necessary decisions to resume the construction of Sungai Bakap Tamil School, she assured.
During the Sungai Bakap by-election, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi had pledged that the Madani government would ensure the completion of the school’s new building.
The Penang state government had already allocated land for the school. The groundwork for the new building was initiated, with several million ringgit spent on its foundation. However, due to a lack of funds, construction was halted. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) later launched an investigation into the financial irregularities surrounding the project.