KUANTAN, Dec 31 — Former students and teachers of St Thomas primary and secondary schools here, are appealing for their school’s name to be retained although it will be moved to a new site in Kemunting here, soon.

Save St Thomas Committee chairman Abdul Rahman Abdul Razak, 56, said an online signature collecting campaign as a petition on the matter had been launched two months ago, with 27,000 signatures collected so far.

"The school was set up in 1950 and we think that if a new name is given, it will eliminate the St Thomas’s identity and history, especially for former students who want to share their story with future generation.

"We are not idolizing the church but this is our school and we hope the related parties will retain its name,” he said in a press conference, here today.

He said, special t-shirts and hats would be made to invite more people to participate in the campaign to retain the school’s name.

Abdul Rahman added, several royals including the Regent of Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, had studied at the school.

The St Thomas’ outstanding performance had also caused the school to be among the first choice of parents.

Dispute on the name of the school which was set up by Reverend Father Louis Guittat under Marist Brothers’ command started after it was said that its name would be changed to Sekolah Mahkota Abdullah, after it moved to the new site.

The move of the government-aided school was made following the schools’ land dispute between the church and state government.

The construction of a complex in Kemunting to place both primary and secondary schools was expected to begin next year. — Bernama