PARENTS in Pasir Gudang want an assurance from Putrajaya that the Sg Kim Kim area is safe before sending their children back to school, even as the authorities say they are on the verge of completing clearing the toxic waste.

They said that even if the Education Ministry announces that the schools will be open after the crisis had passed, many parents here are saying they will still not send their children back.

Rafea Abdullah, 45 said even if they open the schools next week, he and fellow parents in Taman Pasir Putih near Sg Kim Kim won’t allow their children to return.

“My son was one of the first victims of toxic poisoning.

“We are afraid for our children and want a guarantee from the authorities that the area is safe before sending them,” he told The Malaysian Insight at Sg Kim Kim.

Education Minister Maszlee Malik had said that all 111 schools in Pasir Gudang have been ordered to close indefinitely.

He said this was necessary following the illegal dumping of toxic chemicals into Sg Kim Kim last week.

The parents were informed yesterday during a town hall meeting that the team cleaning up the chemical pollution in Sg Kim Kim is expected to wrap up in two days.

The illegal dumping of chemicals into the river last week affected the health of more than 1,000 people, mostly pupils of schools situated along Sg Kim Kim. A total of 111 schools in the area have been ordered to be closed until further notice.

Maszlee in a statement said teachers and other staff in these schools need not come to work during the closure period.

Rafea said even if the relevant authorities ask them to send their children back to school the other parents will also disagree to it.

“The other parents also feel the same about the situation.

“We have to see what all the relevant agencies have to say and if it’s true the air quality is good then we will send them back.

“Even, if they say the river will be clean in a week, but we don’t know what will happen after that,” he said.

He added there the river must continue to be monitored by the authorities and ensure there is no fumes before he can send his four children back.

Parent Saloma Hassan, 39 said that she will not send her children to school because she is not confident that the schools are safe.

“We want an official letter from the Department of Environment and Health Ministry stating that it’s safe for the children to go back to school.

“They are quick to talk, but if anything happens again, who is going to take responsibility?” she asked.

The mother of five children wants assurance from the authorities before they could send their children back to school.

Parent Sujatha Ettickan, 43 who has three children, said that she will only send her children to school after assurances of safety from the authorities.

“We as parents have the right to not send our children to school.

“I’m not going to jeopardise or risk anything, it’s our children’s lives and I am not going to risk my children’s safety,” she said.

She said parents need the right information from relevant authorities.

“We want the relevant agencies such as the Department of Environment and Health Ministry and not the Education Ministry alone to give us the assurance,” she said. – March 17, 2019.