Construction of the new SJKC Heng Ee campus in Sungai Tiram officially began with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow. The new school, located in the Southwest District, is expected to be completed in early 2028, with its first intake of pupils scheduled for September that year.

The four-acre campus will comprise three blocks with 18 classrooms, administrative facilities, workshops, laboratories, a canteen and an assembly hall. Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the new premises could accommodate up to 540 pupils per session, or approximately 1,080 pupils if operated on a two-session basis. This would be a significant increase from the 130 pupils currently enrolled at the school’s existing premises on Macalister Road.

The new campus is part of a 12-acre land allocation made by the Penang state government to the school’s board of governors in 2013. About eight acres were previously used for SMJKC Heng Ee Bayan Baru Branch, which began operating in 2017, while the remaining four acres were reserved for the new primary school. Planning permission for the project was approved in May 2023, followed by building plan approval in July 2025.

In his speech, Chow said the construction of SJKC Heng Ee and SJKT Rajaji in Air Itam was among the conditions imposed on Ideal Gim Venture Sdn Bhd for its proposed development. The State Planning Committee approved the developer’s appeal in June 2023, subject to the construction of both schools at designated locations. The Certificate of Completion and Compliance for the proposed private or international school within the related development can only be issued after both schools are completed.

Chow said the requirement reflected the state government’s approach to ensuring that educational facilities keep pace with population growth and new developments. Under existing guidelines, residential developments are required to provide a four-acre school site for every 1,250 housing units. Developers can fulfil the requirement through land surrender, financial contributions towards land acquisition or the construction of fully equipped schools.

The groundbreaking marks another milestone for SJKC Heng Ee, which has been educating generations of Penangites for 70 years. Its original building on Macalister Road was officially opened in 1962. The school’s board chairman, Tan Sri Datuk Alex Ooi Kee Liang, said additional funds were still needed for equipment and preparations, and called on companies, alumni, associations and the public to support the new campus.