14 August 2019

Non-existent Chinese & Malay ‘text-phobia’, Govt & Opposition should join hands to protect vernacular education system

Since Merdeka, every race in Malaysia has lived together in harmony, interacting with each other; There was never any tension over written script. Yet, Deputy Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong has attributed ‘Jawi-phobia’ as the mirrored effect of the Malay counterpart ‘Chinese-phobia’. Liew Chin Tong should instead join hands with Chinese educationist and related stakeholder groups to protect the integrity of the vernacular education system. 

Since the controversy started, many groups and individuals including Dong Zong and Jiao Zong, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST), local and foreign renowned and experts in Malay studies, a Malay former Cabinet Minister, all have expressed various reasons for khat’s unsuitability as a mandatory subject in Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools.

While certain DAP Ministers and Deputy Ministers may not have been exposed to the Chinese education system and may not have a first-hand comprehension of the various challenges faced by the Chinese community, there are still numerous DAP leaders who were brought up with it, including Liew Chin Tong, Teo Nie Ching, Wong Shu Qi, et cetera. Thus, the people’s discontent naturally arises seeing the repeated defence of the khat syllabus which may undoubtedly cause the Chinese education system to deteriorate.

More disappointingly, DAP’s 6 Ministers and the majority of their MPs, have chosen to remain silent, but took the extra mile by giving an assortment of rationalisations to defend this questionable implementation, including citing the similarities of ‘Jawi-phobia’ and ‘Chinese-phobia’.

By the looks of things, it would seem that instead of serving the rakyat, Liew Chin Tong is more prone to serving Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir.

The overall integrity of the Chinese education system is now under fire; No matter the government, the opposition, or the many sectors of society, everyone has the responsibility to defend and uphold the Chinese education system, instead of talks of ‘text-phobia’ to rationalise their decision.

Dato’ Dr. Mah Hang Soon

MCA Deputy President

-MCA online-