And then came CHINRAF

The absence of Chinese representatives in the Cabinet should it happen will not pose major problems to the government or Chinese community, an academician said today. Selangor DAP chief Teresa Kok said her party is standing firm with its decision to seek four seats in the Selangor state executive council, and hinted that all four nominees are Chinese, Sin Chew Daily reported.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

No Chinese in government no problem

(FMT, 13 May 2013) - The absence of Chinese representatives in the Cabinet should it happen will not pose major problems to the government or Chinese community, an academician said today.

Dr Ser Wue Hiong, senior lecturer at the Foreign Languages Department, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said any concerns if such scenario takes place would only be for a short-term period and could be overcome.

Following the just concluded 13th general election (GE13), which saw MCA and Gerakan almost wiped out, both parties had announced that they would not take up any cabinet posts “out of respect to the voters decision”.

The decision prompted debates from all quarters.

While some feared that the community could be neglected if they had no voice in the cabinet, many including Ser think otherwise.

Ser told Bernama that the fact that Chinese voted most MCA and Gerakan candidates out in the general election proved that the issue of Chinese representation in the Cabinet was also not a concern to them.

He said politics in this new era should also break away from tradition and more importantly, elected politicians should be representing all races and not a particular race or political party he or she represented.

He added that a politician who only championed for one race would also not bode well for the multiracial fabric of this country.

“I think this is the reality of today’s Malaysia. We need to move away from tradition,” he said.

Ser, who specialises in Malaysian Chinese studies, opined that the only sector that may be impacted was Chinese education, but he was quick to argue that the problem could just be temporary.

He was also confident that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak would not sideline development of the Chinese community including on education post-GE13.

“I believe that he will make adjustments and look into new approaches to address the needs and interests of Chinese education.

“One of the ways I can see is that he will appoint a Chinese educationist to sit in his government to take care of Chinese education,” he added.

Prior to this, the portfolio for Chinese education was held by a deputy minister from the community.

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Mary Yap is unfamiliar with the Chinese language

(Sin Chew, 22 May 2013) - Just as the entire Chinese community was still wrapped in bewilderment over the prospects of Chinese education in this country, the appointment of Mary Yap, who is not well versed with the Chinese language, as deputy education and higher learning minister undoubtedly added some new uncertainties.

One of the major changes in the new Cabinet has been the merger of the education and the higher education ministries into the ministry of education and higher learning. Prior to the merger, there were one minister and two deputy ministers for each of the two ministries. The merged entity now has minister I, minister II and two deputies, at a total of four, two short of its predecessors.

In other words, the work which used to be accomplished by six people will have to be borne by only four now.

MCA used to have one deputy minister each in the two ministries prior to the merger, namely Hou Kok Chung and Wee Ka Siong. Since the party had decided not to join the new Cabinet, a representative from PBS was picked to fill the vacancy.

Different from either Hou or Wee, Mary Yap is unfamiliar with the Chinese language. To be exact, none of the four ministers and deputy ministers in the new entity knows the language.

As a result, the Chinese community is forgivably apprehensive whether issues pertaining to Chinese education would fall into capable hands in the days to come.

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DAP demands four Chinese EXCO Members

(fz.com, 22 May 2013) - Selangor DAP chief Teresa Kok said her party is standing firm with its decision to seek four seats in the Selangor state executive council, and hinted that all four nominees are Chinese, Sin Chew Daily reported.

The daily quoted her as saying that she has submitted the four names to Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, and that the party has no alternative plan at the moment.

“If there is any change, we need to sit down and discuss with (the other two parties in Pakatan Rakyat). For now DAP maintains its stand; we have to wait until the MB returns from Germany on Friday for further discussions,” she was quoted as saying.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had earlier announced that Sungai Pinang state assembly member Datuk Teng Chang Khim and Seri Kembangan state assembly member Ean Yong Hian Wah will be recommended for the Selangor exco posts.

The other DAP assembly members in the state are Ng Suee Lim (Sekinchan), Lau Weng San (Kampung Tunku), Hannah Yeoh (Subang Jaya), Lee Kee Hiong (Kuala Kubu Baru) and V. Ganabatirau (Kota Alam Shah).

The Chinese press had speculated that Ganabatirau stands a good chance of being chosen, but  Sin Chew today said that Kok has given an indication that all four DAP nominees are Chinese.

If DAP secures four exco posts, then PKR’s Bukit Lanjan state assembly member Elizabeth Wong will be dropped from the line-up.