Dong Zong dares govt to build school

DONG ZONG (United Chinese School Committees Association) says the government should approve the application to build an independent Chinese school in Kuantan if there is no “deal” or “contract” that limits the number of such schools in the country.

Similarly, the government should also give full recognition to the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), it said, to clear the air over the controversy surrounding the “deal” – the cause of much enmity between Dong Zong and MCA lately.

A week ago, Dong Zong deputy president Chow Siew Hong told the Chinese media he possessed evidence that MCA had struck a deal with the federal government in 1996, agreeing to maintain the status quo on independent Chinese schools as a trade off for the removal of Section 21(2) of the 1961 Education Act when amendments were made to the Act that year. (Section 21(2) of the 1961 Act stipulated that the minister of education “may at any suitable time convert all national-type primary schools to national primary schools”.)

The disclosure came about two weeks after Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, in commenting on a gathering of 5,000 people in Kuantan on May 20 to push for a Chinese school there, said that while he understood the concerns of the Chinese community to set up an independent Chinese school in Kuantan, there were limitations in the education policy and his “hands are tied”.

“My hands are tied, unless there is a change in the policy or the Education Act,” Muhyiddin, who is education minister, was quoted as saying then.

MCA leaders, particularly Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, who is deputy education minister, and party chief Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek vehemently denied such a “deal” or “contract” existed, and chastised Chow over the “evidence” claim.

Speaking at the Dong Zong annual general meeting in Kajang on Sunday, president Dr Yap Sin Tian said the request to set up an independent Chinese school in Kuantan is reasonable and legal.

There is no reason why the government should not approve a school to meet the needs of the local Chinese community.

According to a report in Sin Chew Daily yesterday, Yap said if the authorities concerned continue to beat about the bush, Dong Zong will resort to other courses of action.

“The indications are that the Education Ministry is using the ‘deal’ or ‘contract’ as the excuse for not recognising the UEC (fully); rejecting requests by the Chinese community to open up an independent Chinese school in Kuantan; and limiting the number of independent Chinese schools to the current 60,” he said.

Yap said his deputy Chow will hold a press conference today to show proof what the latter claimed was evidence on the existence of the “deal” struck between MCA and the federal government, and Muhyiddin will be asked to clear the air.

He said the “evidence” will be uploaded onto Dong Zong’s website at www.djz.edu.my.

-thesundaily