MCA: Malay groups' urging extremist and inflammatory

MCA Youth yesterday said the urging by the Muslim Consumers Association for a single stream education system was extremist and inflammatory in nature.

Its chief Wee Ka Siong said the MCA Youth will not tolerate this and will lodge a police report against them as their remarks could undermine racial harmony.

"They, along with another 120 NGOs, had slighted the emotions of the Chinese by issuing a joint statement urging the government to close down all vernacular schools and to regulate private school materials, claiming that in doing so racial unity can be achieved," he said in a statement.

"Before this, this coalition of NGOs had also called for a boycott of Chinese businesses."

Wee said it was regretful there were still a handful of people calling for the abolition of mother-tongue education and bringing up the issue of a single stream education system, as they believe that national unity can be achieved if everyone learns in the same language.

"This shallow-minded thinking of theirs is wrong and they are only attempting to pin the blame on mother tongue education," he said.

"Such accusations are unfair to Malaysians of all races. Nobody should try to create confrontations by oversimplifying the problem of national unity by blaming it on mother-tongue education."

Besides that, he said, the federal constitution provided for mother-tongue education under Article 152, which allows for the teaching and learning of other languages without any prohibition.

"This right has been enshrined in the federal constitution, and as such, it is only reasonable that all schools regardless of its background be treated fairly," he said.

"Any move to question or obstruct the learning of mother-tongue education is disrespectful to the basic rights of the various communities in Malaysia. Thus, these groups should be condemned and be investigated by the police."

Wee said Malaysia was a nation of many diverse races, and the origins of vernacular schools reflected this.

"Moreover, about 14 percent of non-Chinese study in Chinese schools. Therefore, instead of condemning vernacular education, it should be looked at as a model for national unity where all races can learn together,'' he said.

He said the actions of these narrow minded persons in publishing and disseminating racial polarisation runs in contrast to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s call for 1Malaysia.

"If these groups are allowed to continue making racist remarks, this can create wider racial gaps and will ultimately destroy our country," he said.

"I would also like to reiterate the promise made by both the prime minister and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin before the election that Chinese education will be protected and the constitutional right to mother-tongue education must be respected."

- The Malay Mail