17. MIC took school land

by Andrew Ong, Malaysiakini

MIC has purchased a parcel of land in Bandar Utama, Selangor that should rightfully belong to a Tamil school, said Subang MP R Sivarasa. 

“It is a clear case of MIC robbing from school children,” said Sivarasa when met outside the school SRJK (T) Effingham today. 

Sivarasa argued that official documents show the three-acre land bought by MIC was initially earmarked for SRJK (T) Effingham which currently sits on the adjacent three acre of land. 

            

“The six acres were gazetted for the school in 1995. How then is the school only allowed to utilise three acres while the other three acres were sold to MIC?” he said. 

Sivarasa was speaking to reporters after leading a group of protesters in front of the school calling for MIC to return the land to the school and for the Anti-Corruption Agency to investigate the matter. 

According to The Sun on Wednesday, Petaling Land Office records show MIC is holding the land in trust for its president S Samy Vellu on a 99-year lease issued by the Selangor government led by then menteri besar Abu Hassan Omar.

Still Indian’s champion?

Yesterday, MIC secretary-general Dr S Subramaniam had argued that MIC bought the land legally in 2000 and that the Land Office had caused an “error” by naming Samy Vellu as the owner. 

Similarly, Samy Vellu has also denied ownership of the land and has warned the Selangor state government that any attempts to seize the land would be met with court action. 

Sivarasa said regardless of Subramaniam and Samy Vellu’s claims, the latter is still regarded as the legal owner of the land, which is estimated to be worth RM50 million. 

“They claim to be champions of the Indian community, but robbing the school of its land is an act of shortchanging the community,” said Sivarasa. 

Sivarasa, a practising lawyer, said that MIC should not have bought the land as it should have been aware that the Selangor Education Department had also stipulated that the minimum size of all schools should be five acres. 

The school was built in 1998 and consist of a field and a three-story building. ( See title below)