KUALA LUMPUR: Students of SMK Bukit Bandaraya have been dicing with danger after a portion of the school roof was damaged and left in a state of disrepair since last year.
The roofs of two main blocks have been left unrepaired since it was blown away during heavy rain in April last year.
SMK Bukit Bandaraya Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) chairman, Datuk Dr Rajandra Kumar V. Purusthotman said the matter was raised to the Kuala Lumpur Education Department via the Bangsar Pudu Education District Office (PPD) in May last year, by the previous headmaster.
"The previous headmaster submitted a report to the PPD but no significant progress was made," he told the New Straits Times today.
Rajandra Kumar said the PPD had informed the school, which currently has more than 900 students, that a contractor was appointed to repair the damaged roofs.
However, it is learnt that the contractor appointed by the PPD never turned up at the school.
After raising the matter with the PPD, the school was told the contractor had been terminated and that it was in the process of appointing a new one.
In a series of pictures shared with the NST, part of a beam was seen barely hanging from one of the damaged roofs.
A hole can also be seen from inside a classroom, which is under the second damaged roof. The classroom is at the top floor of the building.
"We need to expedite repair works. The severely damaged roofs pose a danger to students. The school had to move the students into another class.
"It is rainy season now, and the classroom with the damaged roof is now faced with issues of cracks and moulding concrete floors. The excess rainwater seeped into the next classroom as it is just separated by roller shutters.
"The classroom below has already shown signs of damp patches. What will happen if the concrete floor is not repaired for many more months?
"We are afraid that it could collapse any time and now school is in session. The Form Five students will be taking their SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) exams soon," he said.
The school is also facing electrical wiring issues. Several students and teachers were reported to have been experiencing slight "buzzing" sensations due to electrical currents after they used switches in classrooms.
Rajandran Kumar said a goup of parents have taken an initiative to deliver a letter to Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin last month, in the hope for the repairs to be expedited.
Rajandran Kumar also took to Twitter this month while tagging Radzi to ensure that the matter had the attention of the ministry.
The school PTA is currently raising funds to repair the damaged roofs and classroom floors expected to cost about RM45,000.
"We are planning to repair the structures during the Chinese New Year celebrations and school holidays," he said.
It was also learnt that the SMK Bukit Bandaraya PTA has reached out to Lembah Pantai member of parliament Fahmi Fadzil to raise funds for the school.