An announcement will be made very soon on new Chinese schools to be built by the Government, says the Prime Minister.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he had promised during the Chinese Community Patriotic Assembly organised by MCA on Sept 16 that the Government would consider a request for more Chinese schools.

“We have agreed that we would allow for the construction of new Chinese schools in new areas where the Chinese population has increased.

“The Education Minister is in discussion with the presidents of MCA and Gerakan, and I am told that there is likely to be an imminent announcement on this,” the Barisan Nasional chairman said at the National Trans­formation 2050 (TN50) townhall in conjunction with the Malay­sia Chinese Youth Summit 2017 at Wisma Huazong here yesterday.

Others present included Tran­s­port Minister and MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Hua Zong) president Tan Sri Pheng Yin Huah.

Najib was responding to a question on whether vernacular schools were treated equally to national schools.

He said the Govern­ment spends RM2.5bil a year to fund the operating expenditure of Chinese schools, adding that he was the Prime Minister who approved the biggest allocation for such schools.

“When I was Education Minister, I also removed the power to convert Chinese schools to national type schools. I took the political risk to do that. If I were to be concerned about my popularity in Umno, I might not have done that,” he said.

Najib said he had reminded a gathering with Bari­san’s election machinery earlier yesterday on the agreement to have such schools.

“I told them we have already decided on integration before independence and to allow for Chinese schools and Tamil schools, so you cannot say today you don’t want Chinese schools.”

On another matter, Najib spoke out against a Muslims-only laundrette policy, saying that such exclusivity was wrong.

“I don’t believe in exclusivity. There should not be a laundrette only for Muslims,” he said.

Najib said he believed that Malaysians should have a choice so long as it did not create a rift in the country’s diverse society.

“There should be choice. You don’t want to go to a particular restaurant because you think it’s not halal, it’s your decision.”

“Muslims have their own set of beliefs but we cannot impose this on non-Muslims.

“As long as you don’t disturb us, we don’t disturb you,” he said.

He said that maintaining harmony was a priority for the Govern­ment.

“As your shou xiang (Prime Minis­ter), I will continue with policies that are moderate and progressive, and I believe in national unity and national harmony,” he said.

On what the Govern­ment planned to do about the size of the civil service, which at 1.6 million strong is said to be too large, Najib said comparisons to certain countries were not fair.

He said some countries did not include the military and police while others excluded teachers from their civil service head count.

After counting the 450,000 teachers, 170,000 police officers, 115,000 military personnel and 230,000 health services staff, the remaining 680,000 civil servants were spread out in Peninsular Malay­sia, Sabah and Sarawak, the Prime Minister said.

Najib also addressed another criticism against the Government such as the management of Malaysia Airlines.

He said he was criticised for appointing Christoph Mueller to MAS.

“When Peter Bellew resigned, I was also criticised. Now that we’ve appointed a Malaysian, they should be happy since they wanted a Malaysian in the first place.

“The trouble with them (Oppo­sition) is that everything we do, they take the opposite view,” he said.

- The Star -