Saifuddin: Gov't won't eliminate Chinese language

Former Deputy Higher Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah believes the government has no intention of eliminating the Chinese language from the education system, through its newly-launched National Education Blueprint.

“It is not true to assume (the new blueprint) wants to eliminate the Chinese language in SJKC. It is aimed at increasing the proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia and English.

“I hope (Chinese education group) Dong Zong will continue efforts to meet with and discus the matter with the Education Ministry,” he said during a press conference at the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation (GMMF) office in Bukit Damansara today.

Saifuddin, who is GMMF CEO, said he believed there to have been a “misunderstanding” between the education group and the ministry, considering the two were supposed to meet again after the first meeting just prior to the general election.

This came after three Chinese education groups - Jiao Zong (United Chinese School Teachers’ Association), Hua Zong (Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia) and the National Union of Heads of Schools - denied Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s claimthat vernacular schools had agreed to extra 60 minutes of Bahasa Malaysia lesson for Year Four to Year Six.

This was dismissed by Deputy Minister P Kamalanathan, who claimedonly Dong Zong was unhappy, while Chinese and Tamil education groups were satisfied following meetings with Muhyiddin before the blueprint was finalised.