The Satnam Education Society of British Columbia, which Malik had established many years ago, was looking for a site for a new school as the existing school in West Newton is full with a long waiting list. After identifying a new site, the application for rezoning the new site was made to the City Council in the name of Malik's son, Jaspreet.
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Once completed, the building on the 6.5 acre site would accommodate about 1,850 students: 1,000 elementary students, 600 secondary students and 250-pre-school children.
City Councillor Judy Higtginbotham reportedly said March 14 that the Council recently voted unanimously in favour of rezoning the site and had referred it to staff for further study. After study, the staff will present the rezoning amendment to council for approval.
Higginbotham said the City Council has been working with the Satnam Education Society for several years to find an appropriate site for a new school, and the court case involving Malik is not an issue.
'They (Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri) were acquitted. If somebody goes through a very public process and
During the Air India case hearings in the British Columbia Supreme Court, Malik denied he had any terrorist links.
But Vancouver lawyer Ravi Hira reportedly told the Court March 10 that Malik had not addressed the issue of his application for membership of the Babar Khalsa, known to be a terrorist group. Reports say the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has a copy of that application.
Malik is also challenging a decision by the Financial Institutions Commission to oust him as a director of the Khalsa credit Union established by him several years ago because of terrorist links and an earlier BC Supreme Court ruling that he had misled the court when he applied for legal aid in the Air-India case.
Malik was removed from the board of the credit union following an investigation launched by the Financial Institutions Commission regarding his suitability to continue on the board of the credit union.
Surrey City Councillor Higginbotham said the 6.5 acre site for the school in the midst of a residential area won't cause any disruption in the neighbourhood: 'In a mature city, it's always a challenge to rezone something that may have late-night hours or a lot of traffic coming in and out,' she was quoted as saying.
'They've desperately wanted and needed an additional site because they have huge waiting lists for children to get into their private school.'