THE Education Ministry will find a new plot of land to build a Chinese school in Puchong after it was found that the initial site had been set aside for a religious school, said Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching.

Teo said in a statement today that her ministry had a meeting on January 10 with the Selangor Land and Mines Department and Petaling District Land Administrator, and was informed of the status of the plot.

“On that note, the meeting decided on January 10 that since Lot 1344 was allotted for a primary religious school (SRA), a new plot will be identified within Puchong for the development of the school immediately as there is a pressing need for a school in the area,” she said in a statement.

The Malaysian Insight reported on Sunday that confusion arose among residents of Taman Puchong Utama, Selangor, on whether a vernacular, national or religious school was going to be built on the land known as Lot 1344.

Residents said clearing work has started on the plot of land, but it is to build a Chinese primary school, to which they object because they wished to have a national school instead.

Local assemblyman Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud, however, said the land belongs to the Selangor religious authorities, and has been earmarked for a religious school.

Former education minister Dr Maszlee Malik had planned to relocate six Chinese schools, including SJKC Poi Min in Gopeng, Perak to  Puchong Perdana, Selangor.

A few meetings were held between November 8, 2018 and November 22, 2019.

Teo said Lot 1344 was identified during the meetings and the Petaling Land Administrator had advised on the procedures and measures to be taken.

“However, the Petaling Land Administrator only found out on January 9 that the land was earmarked for a religious primary school,” she said.

She said the land administrator was shocked that the information could not be traced during the earlier meetings.

The land was allotted to the Selangor Religious Department on January 20, 2017. – January 13, 2020.