Ipoh World

The first picture shows Samy Vellu (now Dato' Seri S Samy Vellu) expressing his deep concerns about the condition of the existing Chettiar school building, to some of the Indian community in Ipoh. The occasion was a meeting of the committee formed to push for a new Chettiar/Tamil school building.

In the beginning (around 1910) the first Chettiar learning centre was founded by an Ipoh Chettiar named S L Chettiapa Chettiar who donated his wooden bungalow (see third picture) so that the children of the local Chettiars could be educated in their traditional way. At the time he was a prominent figure among Ipoh’s Chettiar community. However, because of the need for Tamil youngsters to be educated, the school was opened up to them as well in 1927, but the original bungalow was too small. At that time there were 27 Chettiar pupils and one teacher.

Consequently, the late S L Chettiappa Chettiar appealed to the Temple Committee of Sri Thandayuthapani Temple (in Lahat Road), to grant permission to use a portion of the temple premises to be converted to a Tamil school. Thus, on an auspicious day, under the able leadership of Mr Chelliah, a scholar from Ceylon, a new school “Chettiar Kalasalai" was born to provide Tamil education for a handful of Tamil children. After a couple of years the enrolment had increased to a level where an additional teacher, Mr Yelumalai was appointed as an assistant teacher.

In 1930 Mr Nava Ratnam replaced Mr Yelumalai and in 1932 the head teacher returned to Ceylon leaving his assistant to run the school. 1933 saw the appointment of Mr T. V. K. Muthiah as headmaster and enrolment increased rapidly leading to the appointment of Mr Suppiah as assistant headmaster. The latter then became headmaster on the demise of Mr T. V. K. Muthiah.

Under Mr Suppiah's able leadership, the school progressed very well. Around that time the government agreed to assist in the management of the school by providing teachers.

In 1963 space again became a problem and in 1966 an additional building was added, but by 1970 the school was forced to also take classes in the dining hall of the temple.

In 1972 with an ever increasing number of pupils, a committee was set up to press for a new building as the old wooden structures was deteriorating and it feared that they might become a danger to pupils and teachers alike. However, despite the committee and the willingness of the Chettiar community to help fund a new school, no progress was made with acquiring a suitable piece of land. The situation therefore continued in a most unsatisfactory manner until the mid 1970s when Samy Vellu (today YAB Dato Seri Samy Vellu) got involved.

At the time he was a young, recently qualified architect, Vice President of the Malayan Indian Congress, MIC, (a political party) and a Member of Parliament. In 1978, after the General Election he was made Deputy Minister of the Housing and Local Government Ministry and in 1979 became the President of MIC, renamed the Malaysian Indian Congress, a post he still holds (2009).

The Malayan Indian Congress was established in August 1946 at the end of World War II in the cause of the community's struggle during the inter-war years, to end British colonial rule, as well as in the need for representation on behalf of the Indian Community in the post war development of the country. The MIC joined the Barisan Nasional (National Alliance) in 1954. Around this time the Chettiar School committee, with assistance from Samy Vellu, submitted a plan to the Town Council for a new school, on land donated by the Chettiar Temple, which was subsequently approved. The new building was built on the donated land, which at the time was valued at $300,000 and the two storey building cost about $400,000 of which the government gave about $100,000. The remainder was put up by the Chettiars and other members of the public. The school had nine classrooms, a library, a room for the teachers a canteen and toilets. It was completed on 31st December 1981 and officially opened on 5th April 1983.

Since then a classroom has become a computer laboratory and two more classrooms have been added with the help of sponsorship.