Chinese school gets fresh start
SJKC Poay Chai to greet first pupils on June 23

ISKANDAR PUTERI: More than 200 children will be the first batch of pupils at SJKC Poay Chai scheduled to be opened in Bukit Indah later this month, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

The MCA president said these children are currently studying at 11 primary schools nearby and will be transferred to the new school, which will open on June 23.

“These children currently have to travel some 15km from their homes to their respective schools. With SJKC Poay Chai opening soon, it will shorten their travelling distance as it is nearer to their homes.

“We also expect the number of students at SJKC Poay Chai, which is a one-session school, to increase to 420 students soon and reach 1,000 enrolments in the near future as there are a lot of residential areas here,” he added.

Dr Wee, who is also Johor MCA chairman and Ayer Hitam MP, said this in a press conference after visiting the school here yesterday.

He added that SJKC Poay Chai was relocated from Singkir in Kedah to Bukit Indah here as the school had a lack of pupils in its original location while there is a demand here.

New beginnings: Wee (right) with Wong (second from right) inspecting the school grounds at SJKC Poay Chai. — THOMAS YONG/The Star

Dr Wee also said that discussions with the Education Ministry to relocate the school to Bukit Indah started in 2014 before the necessary approval came on Oct 26, 2017.

He congratulated the school development committee, headed by its chairman Wong You Fong, who is also Wanita MCA chief, for successfully raising RM15mil to cover the school’s construction costs.

“They were able to overcome many technical issues involving the school construction, including when the country was hit with the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

“I would like to express my thanks to everyone regardless of their political background as they have played a role in helping to ensure that SJKC Poay Chai can be opened,” he said.

Meanwhile, Wong said she and the school development committee are very happy that SJKC Poay Chai can begin operating in a couple of weeks.

“We will begin with 276 students and 10 teachers as well as a principal. The RM15mil is part of the first phase of the school’s construction, which covers one block of a three-storey building.

“Block A consists of 11 rooms, including a teachers’ room, science class, library, several classrooms and a hall for the comfort of students and teachers,” she added.

Wong also said they have requested additional funding of RM4mil from the Education Ministry for the construction of Block B, which is the second phase of the school’s development project.

She added that this block would also be a three-storey building and will have 12 classrooms, and is expected to take 10 months to construct.
ISKANDAR PUTERI: More than 200 children will be the first batch of pupils at SJKC Poay Chai scheduled to be opened in Bukit Indah later this month, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.