Housing Boom in Labu Strains School Capacity, Forcing Long Commutes for Students

The rapid expansion of housing projects in Taman Tiara Sendayan, within the Labu state constituency, has created a significant challenge for residents: a severe shortage of school capacity. This has forced many parents to send their children to schools located far from their homes, disrupting daily routines and adding to household burdens.

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Every morning I send all my children at once. Two children study at SK Labu, while the other two are in Form Two and Form Four at SMK Dato’ Shahardin, Jalan Labu.

Currently, four primary schools are situated within a 5 to 12-kilometer radius of the housing development: Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Labu, SK Gadong Jaya, SK Bandar Sri Sendayan, and SK Bandar Enstek. For parents like Hazura Zakariah, a 39-year-old trader, this means a daily early morning commute. She transports her four children to different schools, with two attending SK Labu and two at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Dato’ Shahardin, a journey that takes approximately 12 minutes each way.

Shaharil Iham, a father of four, faces a similar situation, needing to drop off his youngest child at SK Labu before taking his three older children to SMK Bandar Enstek, about 12 kilometers away. He often leaves home as early as 6:40 a.m., and sometimes faces delays due to traffic or inclement weather.

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Sometimes we are late for school due to traffic jams or when it rains.

The issue extends to residents in the adjacent Taman Gadong Jaya, who also struggle with insufficient school capacity. Saiful Kamarul, 36, even transitioned from a stable job to selling pau (steamed buns) by the roadside to better manage school drop-offs and pick-ups for his child at the relatively closer SK Gadong Jaya. He noted that while the population has grown significantly over his eight years of residency, the promised new school has yet to materialize.

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I have been living here for eight years and it cannot be denied that the number of residents is increasing. I have heard suggestions for building a new school, but I am not sure about the latest developments.

Osman Kamarudin, 44, acknowledged the positive housing development in Negeri Sembilan but stressed the urgent need to address the lack of educational facilities. He, along with other residents, hopes the government will consider building a new school to accommodate the increasing number of students in the area, ensuring that educational infrastructure keeps pace with residential growth.

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When more housing areas are developed, educational facilities must also grow in tandem. Many residents hope the government can consider building a new school to accommodate the increase in students in this area.