Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP for Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 14.5.2013.
Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Arshad dares to call for the abolition of Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools because with assured UMNO support behind him, he knows he will neither be sacked as pro-Chancellor Of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) nor charged for making such seditious remarks. Abdul Rahman’s call for the abolition of Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools in favour of a single stream school is seditious and a BN MP Mark Koding was even convicted of sedition in 1982 for making the very same suggestion in Parliament in 1978.
Rahman blamed vernacular schools as the barrier towards racial unity in the country, and causing increasing racial polarisation that led to BN losing the popular vote 47% to PR’s 51% in the recent general elections. Clearly BN supporters are choosing easy victims to blame by targeting the Chinese community, vernacular schools and the DAP.
Why were vernacular schools not blamed when the Chinese community saved BN government from defeat in the 1999 general elections and voted for BN in 1995 and 2004 general elections? BN should not behave hypocritically by taking out its frustrations on schools but work to save them. BN supporters are so untrustworthy that they are willing to abandon education and our young’s future instead of protecting educational opportunities for all.
BN and UMNO continues to insult the voters by claiming that PR’s victory in the general elections is due to a “Chinese tsunami” and ignored the huge numbers of Malays Indians, Kadazans and Iban who made up the 51% popular vote majority for PR. By ignoring a Malaysian tsunami, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has chosen to attack DAP as racist without showing any proof what are the DAP policies that are racist?
I doubt that Najib can show any proof when DAP upholds the Federal Constitution on the queston of:-
• Islam as the religion of the Federation whilst other religions have freedom to practice their faith,
• Bahasa Malaysia as the official language whilst other mother-tongue languages can be used and promoted, and
• safeguarding the special position of Malays and bumis whilst protecting the legitimate interests of other races in Malaysia under Article 153 of the Federal Constitution.
Najib’s attack on DAP as racist is to hide BN’s failure to wipe out corruption, cronyism and abuse of power. Now BN is picking on vernacular Tamil and Chinese primary schools as easy targets.
As far back as December 2008, Jerlun member of parliament Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir had made the same suggeston of one Malaysian or National Education System, using Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction except for Mathematics and Science. Now we shall see whether as Kedah Menteri Besar, Mukhriz will press for all vernacular Chinese and Tamil schools to be closed down in Kedah?
Such sentiments from a racist UMNO leader is not surprising. However I feel sad that an academician can make such seditious remarks that are against the very concept of education to seek knowledge without borders or language constraints. Just because Abdul Rahman supports UMNO, does not mean he should betray his academic soul for a racial cloak? I urge all Malaysians to remain calm and not be provoked by such race-baiting and hatred by BN and UMNO’s supporters.
Mother tongue education and vernacular schools are protected under Article 152(1)(a) and (b) of the Federal Constitution. For this reason, PR and DAP are ready to fight legally in courts and seek support from all Malaysians Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban And Kadazan to protect Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools from being abolished by UMNO supporters like Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Arshad.
Lim Guan Eng
—-BM Version–
On the way
—–Mandarin Version —-
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2013年5月14日在吉隆坡发表声明：
民联及行动党将会入禀法庭，要求全体马来西亚人，不论是马来人、华人、印度人、伊班人及卡达山人一起保护华小及淡小，不让它们被像丹斯里阿都拉曼这样的巫统支持者废除。
丹斯里阿都拉曼竟敢要求废除华小及淡小，这肯定是巫统在背后支持他。他知道身为玛拉工艺大学的校长，他不会因发表煽动性言论被开除，也不会被提控。阿都拉曼呼吁废除华小和淡小，并要求单一源流学校是煽动性的，曾经一名国阵国会议员马克可丁在1978年发表类似的言论在1982年被判煽动。
拉曼怪罪华小淡小，指他们是国家团结的绊脚石，导致种族两极化，国阵才会在大选中输掉47%的多数票，让民联获得51%的得票率。很明显地，国阵支持者选择容易下手的受害者，把目标订在华社、华小淡小及行动党。
为什么华社在1999年救了国阵、在1995年及2004年投选了国阵后，没有人怪罪华小淡小？国阵不应该那么虚伪，拿华小淡小当成出气筒，他们应该努力拯救这些学校。国阵支持者那么言而无信，他们竟然要抛弃教育及下一人的未来，而不是捍卫全民教育机会平等。
国阵及巫统继续侮辱选民，他们说民联在大选中的胜利中“华人海啸”，完全不理会绝大部分的马来人、印度人、卡达山人及伊班人组成了民联多数议席51%。 他们不顾“马来西亚人海啸”，相反地，首相拿督斯里纳吉选择攻击民主行动党为种族主义政党，却拿不出证据证明行动党哪一项政策是种族主义？
我想纳吉根本拿不出证据证明，反而行动党可以捍卫联邦宪法下列问题：
• 伊斯兰教为联邦宗教，同时其它宗教拥有奉行宗教信仰的自由；
• 马来西亚语为官方语言，同时能够使用及推广其它母语；
• 捍卫马来人及土著的特别地位，同时依据联邦宪法第153条文，保护马来西亚其它种族的合法利益。
纳吉攻击行动党为种族主义政党，以掩饰国阵无法扫除贪污、朋党及滥权的无能。现在国阵要华小淡小做代罪羔羊。
2008年12月，杰仑区国会议员拿督慕克里斯马哈迪也提出同样的建议，即一个马来西亚或国民教育制度，除了数理科之外，使用马来文单一语文为教学媒介语。现在我们要看看，这名现任吉打州州务大臣是不是会强逼吉打关闭州内所有华小及淡小？
一名种族主义巫统领袖有这种情绪一点也不出奇。但是我觉得难过，一名学者竟然可以发表如此煽动性言论，完全违背教育里知识无边界、不受语言约束的理念。阿都拉曼支持巫统，不代表他可以为了披上种族主义的外衣，而背叛自己的学术灵魂？我呼吁全体马来西亚人保持冷静，不要被国阵及巫统支持者利用种族及仇恨激怒。
我国联邦宪法第152（1）（a）及(b)保障母语教育。因此，民联及行动党准备上法庭，要求全体马来西亚人，不论是马来人、华人、印度人、伊班人及卡达山人一起保护华小及淡小，不让它们被像丹斯里阿都拉曼这样的巫统支持者废除。
林冠英
Personally, I don’t think vernacular schools causes disunity. The diversity of racial composition among students in chinese vernacular school is in fact better than sekolah kebangsaan. What the government need to address is how to attract more Chinese and Indian to attend national schools – not only sekolah kebangsaan but also MRSMs, College that offer matriculation and also other higher institutions. Besides students’ diversity, the diversity of educators in schools should also reflex the racial composition of our country.
I think we should have many type of national schools. Why must we have one uniform school, with a standardize curriculum where every students learn exactly the same thing. If we have only one type of school, then invariably the end result would be to produce about half a million of students who graduate from form 5 every year – that are carbon copies of each other.
If everyone has the same skill sets, are they going to compete for the same jobs. Does it mean that those who are academically inclined are going to get all the good jobs as there aren’t any other factors that differentiate all these student since they are all trained to be alike – just like standardize widgets. Imagine you go to a food court and every single shop sells only Satay. Firstly, it will be such a boring place. Secondly, only one will survive eventually. What will happen to the rest of our human capital. Jadi Mat Rempit?
Other than chinese vernacular schools, international schools, and Sek Kebangsaan, I think, we should also have English medium type school as well. Not only that, we should also have school that specialize in performing arts, school that specialize in sports, school that specialize in music, school that specialize in fine arts, school that specialize in engineering, school that specialize in culinary skills, the list goes on. The diversity of skills from diverse type of schools will differentiate the skills of our human capital, they will all become master at a vocation. Every vocation will be man by well train and skill work force in their specialize area to provide top notch services to the nation. Every one will have a different dream. Everyone can realize their potential.
The world has changed. We need not have working bees to man factory and workshop. If machines will soon take over most mechanical factory jobs, while only 15-20% of the students go on to pursue education at tertiary, what will happen to the rest. Again, human need not become carbon copies of each other.
Upon graduation at form 5, our school systems should have produced a great diversity of students with different skill sets. All need not rush in a single academic direction where there are a few winners and the rest losers.
Pakatan Rakyat should help bring back English Medium School.
Guan Eng
Glad to see this statement from you. In no uncertain terms must vernacular schools be abolished. This is a travesty and should be nipped at the bud for I fear worse things to happen when our Constitutional Rights are taken away.
As it stands, the quality of education has eroded to the pits after years of deliberate dumbing down. After all, stupid citizens make du,b ones who will obey and follow like sheep. Hence, reversion to full Malay stream may mean further loss of brains.
As a Malaysian, I left the country 30 years ago for the sake of my children. Was there a choice? Yes perhaps but after seeing the level of education fall, we realized we made the right choice.
No matter what, please defend this right all the way.
Warmest regards
Dear Guan Eng,
Would uniting all the schools, contribute to unity in Malaysia?