KUALA LUMPUR – With the 2023 school year to begin on January 3, the six teachers from SJK(C) Mun Choong that lost their lives in the Batang Kali landslide will be replaced by new teachers.
Kuala Lumpur Education Department deputy director (Learning Sector) Abdul Aziz Md Hashim said this today during the memorial service held at the school for those who died in the devastating landslide on December 16.
“These new teachers are all fresh graduates and have been waiting for their postings within Kuala Lumpur,” he told the media.
Meanwhile, SJK(C) Mun Choong’s parent-teacher association head U Chin Ong said the group of 26, consisting of teachers, students, canteen operators and their friends and family were on a camping trip at the Father’s Organic Farm in their own capacity.
“Since it was during the school holidays, they decided to go on the trip together and it was not related to the school.
“It was their own activity and not by the school or the parent-teacher association,” he said.
It was also announced today that RM800,000 had been collected for the victim’s families.
“We will set up a working committee to see how we can use the money to help the families.
“Maybe it can be used to support the other children’s future studies, but we will leave it to the committee to decide,” he added.
Chin Ong also said those at the memorial service today consisted of students, the teaching faculty, and other non-profit organisations that wanted to pay their respects to the victims.
The last body was found on Christmas Eve, bringing the count to 31 people after the search went on for nine days following the landslide in the early hours of December 16. – The Vibes, December 30, 2022