FMT News, 9 February 2014
Chinese school association hopes opposition leader can resolve land issue which has been delayed for 14-years.
KAJANG:
The United Chinese Schools Committee Association of Malaysia (Dong
Zong) today expressed hope that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim can
resolve a longstanding land issue in light of the latter’s bid for the
Kajang state assembly seat.
Dong Zong chairman Yap Sin Tian hoped that “as the by-election is
looming”, Anwar and the Selangor state government could help to resolve
the issue involving the donation of a 100-acre campus land in Sepang to
New Era University College which has been delayed for 14-years.
Yap also hoped that Anwar would allocate land of at least five acres
for the reinstatement of the Yu Hua Chinese secondary school, and ensure
that higher education institutions under the Selangor state government
would recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) of Malaysian
Independent Chinese secondary schools.
“The 2013-2025 Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB) is continuing
policies and measures that are unfavourable to the survival and
development of mother-tongue education, causing it to face a detrimental
impact and a crisis of having its nature fundamentally altered,” Yap
said at an open house event here.
“Such issues have yet to be resolved, and are causing worries and discontent,” he added.
Yap disclosed that Putrajaya’s neglect for mother-tongue education
was the reason many organisations of various ethnic groups continue to
fight for the right to said education through various means.
“It is our hope that the government will revise and rectify policies
and measures in the MEB that are favourable to the survival and
development of mother-tongue education,” he said.
He added that measures include providing fair and reasonable
treatment to schools of various streams and to develop them in an
institutionalised manner, as well as resolve long-term issues plaguing
the school system, such as shortage of teachers, fund allocations,
school land, construction of new schools and the powers of school
boards.
“The preservation of and fight for the right to mother-tongue
education is a totally righteous, justifiable, reasonable and legitimate
act,” Yap said.
“The continuation and development of mother-tongue education,
languages and culture of each ethnic group is crucial to them as their
fundamental right.
“Therefore, regardless of whether it is the National Constitution,
legislations and policies, they must all clearly safeguard and treat the
continuation and development of mother-tongue education, languages and
culture of each ethnic group fairly and reasonably.”
MCA president defends MEB
When approached by reporters at the event, MCA president Liow Tiong
Lai defended the MEB and said the blueprint would “ensure the growth of
Chinese education is complete”.
“It (MEB) is part of the country’s education development. Chinese
education is part of the national education and this has been accepted
in the masterplan,” he said.
“So now, we have to work together to ensure that our multi-racial,
multi-language and multi-cultural country continues to prosper.”
Following MEB’s announcement last year, it was reported that Dong
Zong and some other Chinese groups may take legal action against the
Education Ministry, including holding peaceful rallies, should the
blueprint remain detrimental to Chinese education.
Reportedly, Yap was not optimistic with what is in store for primary
Chinese schools and saw it as a step to realise the government’s
ultimate objective of implementing the monolingual education policy.
However, Education Minister II Idris Jusoh said that his ministry
will carry on with its plan and hinted that those who are not satisfied
with the blueprint can send their children overseas.
“We cannot please everyone, we have our own objective and we will
continue to implement it. It is not my own decision before we come up
with this blueprint; we have sat down with thousands of experts,”
“We have 12-years of plan. The national language should be used as a
communication medium for everyone in this country,” he said.
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