Stop attacking vernacular school system, say two MCA bureaus

KUALA LUMPUR: Stop attacking the vernacular school system just to score points during party elections because this creates tension among races.

The MCA Youth Education Bureau and MCA Legal Bureau criticised Umno Youth chief aspirant Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir for calling on the Government to abolish the vernacular school system to enhance unity among the people, saying that a single-school system was the only way to check racial polarisation.

“We urge Mukhriz not to purposely play up the education issue simply because of the advent of his party’s polls,” MCA National Youth education bureau chief Chong Sin Woon said yesterday.

“Such sentiment has always been played up by Umno Youth leaders, causing unhappiness among the Chinese community and creating tension among all the races.”

He added that the proposal by Mukhriz contradicted the spirit of the Federal Constitution, which guaranteed the freedom to promote and develop the vernacular school system.

Chong said the vernacular school system was an asset to the country and did not hinder national unity.

“The education sentiment has seriously been politicised, and this will only continue to reduce our nation’s competitiveness,” he added.

He invited Mukhriz to a dialogue with the bureau to have a better understanding of the importance of Chinese education to the community.

MCA Legal Bureau chairman Datuk Leong Tang Chong demanded that the Jerlun MP make a public apology to all Malaysians and refrain from making such political rhetoric.

“The law is clear, and no one is above the law. The supremacy of the Federal Constitution must be respected at all times by all Malay­sians,” he said.

He added that Mukhriz’s call for the abolition of the vernacular school system by integrating it into the national school system flew in the face of Article 152(1)(a) which inter-alia stated that “no person shall be prohibited or prevented from using (other than for official purposes) or from teaching or learning in any other language.

“(b) nothing in the Clause shall prejudice the right of the Federal Government or of any state government to preserve and sustain the use and study of the language of any other community in the Federa­tion”. – The Star

马青总团教育局文告

马青总团教育局文告
02-12-2008



马青总团教育局不苟同慕克里的言论


吉隆坡2日讯

马青总团教育局主任张盛闻表示，巫青团署里总团长候选人拿督慕克里发表关闭各源流学校的建议已经抵触了联邦宪法赋予各源流学校自由发展的精神。他吁请慕克里克制自己，不要在巫青团党选的敏感期挑起伤害种族关系的言论。他说这类言论经常被巫青团领袖挑起，令到国内华裔族群感到非常不满，并将造成种族间的关系紧张。

他说：“马来西亚教育拥有一定历史背景，并不能够与其他国家的单元教育相提并论。国家独立已经超过50年，大家应该接受各源流学校是国家的资产，而不是负担，更不是国家团结的绊脚石！教育课题已经被严重的政治化了，如果这种情况继续下去，只会让这个国家的竞争力继续下滑，到时候全国人民都受到伤害！”

各源流学校成为团结绊脚石的言论在很多个年代都出现过，但是首相阿都拉及教育部长希山慕丁都曾经公开说各源流学校是国家重要资产，并保证它们将能够继续自由的发展下去。因此，慕克里没有必要因为巫青团的改选而再度挑起这个课题以塑造个人英雄的形象。他这样做只会令到人民对巫统感到更加反感。

张盛闻呼吁各造停止操纵教育课题，还教育界一个清静的环境。我们应该投入更多的时间及资源发展我国的教育，提高人民的教育水平，而不是一味将教育课题当作政治议题，每天闹的沸沸扬扬。

另外，慕克里再度挑起华人控制经济的课题显示他依然保留华人是外来者并抢夺了本土马来人利益的狭隘思想。这种落伍的思想才是导致国民未能团结的最大障碍。如果政府能够公平施政，利惠各族人民，并严厉管制政治人物发表极端言论，我国各族人民必定能够融洽生活在一起。

张盛闻欢迎慕克里与马青总团教育局对话，让后者了解华社对华文教育的立场及马青对维护各源流学校的决心。