Minister rapped for doubts on vernacular schools
Published: Aug 12, 2014 8:24 AM | Updated: Aug 12, 2014 9:53 AM
MCA has taken Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Ismail Sabri to task for saying that students who study in vernacular schools would not be able to respect other races.
MCA has taken Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Ismail Sabri to task for saying that students who study in vernacular schools would not be able to respect other races.
In a statement today, MCA Youth national chairperson Chong Sin Woon called upon all parties to exercise “self-restraint” and stop implying that vernacular schools are a threat to national unity.
“MCA Youth strongly opposes this statement, and we are against any attempt to achieve national unity by way of creating a single-stream educational system.
“Multiple ethnicity and multi-stream educational systems have been widely recognised as an important national asset,” Chong (left) said.
He also deemed those who opined the vernacular education system is hostile to unity as “short-sighted” and that they should open their eyes and embrace diversity.
“Our forefathers were far-sighted enough to believe in maintaining a multi-racial national policy, thus enabling Malaysia to develop into a well-recognised state, and Malaysians with multi-lingual abilities are now much sought after,” he added.
Taking the National Civics Course as an example, Chong said such a programme that encourages multi-racial students to better understand each other’s culture should be carried out to achieve national unity rather than suppress diversity.
“Thus, I remind Ismail that as a cabinet minister, it is his duty to help make any national programme a success, instead of making any suggestions or statements to the contrary,” said Chong.
Last week, deputy minister in Prime Minister's Department Razali Ibrahim reportedly called the government not to build new Chinese and Tamil primary school as they are against the national agenda to promote racial unity.
The comment was made following MCA's call to build to a chinese school in Bukit Indah, Johor.
Razali was then widely condemned by MCA, DAP and Dong Zong (United Chinese School Teachers Association).
Last year, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the right of Chinese and Tamil schools to use mother tongue languages as a medium of instruction is guaranteed under the Education Act 1996.
In a statement today, MCA Youth national chairperson Chong Sin Woon called upon all parties to exercise “self-restraint” and stop implying that vernacular schools are a threat to national unity.
“MCA Youth strongly opposes this statement, and we are against any attempt to achieve national unity by way of creating a single-stream educational system.
“Multiple ethnicity and multi-stream educational systems have been widely recognised as an important national asset,” Chong (left) said.He also deemed those who opined the vernacular education system is hostile to unity as “short-sighted” and that they should open their eyes and embrace diversity.
“Our forefathers were far-sighted enough to believe in maintaining a multi-racial national policy, thus enabling Malaysia to develop into a well-recognised state, and Malaysians with multi-lingual abilities are now much sought after,” he added.
Taking the National Civics Course as an example, Chong said such a programme that encourages multi-racial students to better understand each other’s culture should be carried out to achieve national unity rather than suppress diversity.
“Thus, I remind Ismail that as a cabinet minister, it is his duty to help make any national programme a success, instead of making any suggestions or statements to the contrary,” said Chong.
Last week, deputy minister in Prime Minister's Department Razali Ibrahim reportedly called the government not to build new Chinese and Tamil primary school as they are against the national agenda to promote racial unity.
The comment was made following MCA's call to build to a chinese school in Bukit Indah, Johor.
Razali was then widely condemned by MCA, DAP and Dong Zong (United Chinese School Teachers Association).
Last year, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the right of Chinese and Tamil schools to use mother tongue languages as a medium of instruction is guaranteed under the Education Act 1996.
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