Najib: Chinese-medium schools here to stay

Not Barisan Nasional policy to abolish vernacular schools, he says to applause at MCA assembly.

KUALA LUMPUR: Chinese-medium schools are here to stay, Najib Razak said today to applause at the MCA general assembly and reiterated that multiculturalism and multilingualism was the core foundation of Malaysia.

“That’s why when certain parties said that we should abolish vernacular schools, I said this is not BN policy,” said Najib, who is Barisan Nasional chairman. “BN policies stands for multiculturalism, multilingualism and multiethnicism,” he said.

He reminded those present of the vision of the country’s forefathers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Abdul Razak, Tun Tan Cheng Lock, and Tun Sambathan.

“We did not go for assimilation, instead we went for integration. That is the vision of our forefathers. They were the ones who decided that the best way forward is a country based on an understanding, good relationship and trust between all communities,” he said.

Najib called for a return to the roots of the country, based on working together to build trust between various communities.

“Part of that trust is to build consensus and policies that are essentially moderate and progressive,” he said.

Najib added that Islam and Confucianism might differ in terms of faith, but shared the same values. “In Islam and Confucianism, we practice the same values which is mutual respect although we differ in Akidah (faith),” he said.

He said eventually all major ethnic groups in Malaysia must realise the need for all to work together because it was the only way for the country to move forward. “The Malays cannot work alone and the Chinese can’t too. We must work together in a political union. This is the winning formula,” he said.