KULAI: The decision to relocate SJKC Pei Cheng from Pengerang to Bandar Putra here was a right one as evidently seen in the growing number of students enrolled at the school, says MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic).

       He said the school only had about 100 students when it began operating in Kulai after its relocation five years ago.

       “Now, the student numbers have grown to over 1,000, which proves that the decision to relocate the school was the right one.

       “Looking back at the school’s journey, from choosing a suitable plot of land for the relocation, attending the school handing over ceremony then and now attending the groundbreaking ceremony for its multipurpose hall project, I’m glad to see how the school has grown.

       “It has clearly benefited the students in the surrounding community,” he said after attending the school hall construction project’s groundbreaking ceremony here yesterday.

       Dr Wee also said the construction of the multipurpose hall had always been part of the conversation in his discussions on the school with the late IOI Group founder Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng years ago.

       He hoped the group would keep upholding the concept of giving back to society by continuing to donate and assist the school hall project until its completion.

       On his Facebook page, Dr Wee also wrote that the school was relocated from Pengerang, Kota Tinggi, to give way to the oil refinery project there.

       The school closed at the end of 2014 and the seven students who enrolled there at the time were transferred to a nearby school, he added.

       “Actually, a relocated school can also be considered as the building of a new school. When talking about building new schools, the relocation of the schools should be looked at too, because if a Chinese vernacular school is closed down due to the lack of students, it is a loss to the overall number of SJKCs in the country.

       “When MCA adopted the practice of relocating schools all those years ago, it not only helped to add new Chinese primary schools in densely-populated and needy areas, it also ensured continuation of the schools’ history,” said Dr Wee, adding that SJKC Pei Cheng was one such example.