According to Lim Lian Geok Foundation chairman Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon, the whole fiasco is due to a conflict and clash between individuals.
Dong Zong had been one of the co-hosts of the Chinese Education Festival during the past, but has suddenly decided not to be involved this year.
Dong Zong had earlier received a letter from the Lim Lian Geok Foundation asking whether it would like to co-host this year’s event, which was interpreted by some people as a deliberate act of confrontation.
The controversy between the two organizations is said to be a spillover of the New Era College controversy. College principal Pua Eng Chong has been in the job for nearly two years, but the dispute has not be resolved and is continuing to split the Chinese education community.
Chinese education is just like a boat in the rough sea, and it can only safely reach the shore with the combined united effort of every crew member. If the crew members are busy quarreling, the boat can be overturned by just a single big wave.
The veteran Chinese education leaders, who have been the promoters and defenders of Chinese education for decades, obviously understand such a simple truth. It is an emotional struggle after all, and may also be related to the so-called problems of principle.
When I was a reporter, I had seen some Chinese group members quarreled for a few hours at a meeting over just a word used in a report. Perhaps the word was so important that could affect their principles and stands.
However, the strong non-compromise stance on principles is certainly impractical. Such a dogmatic inflexible approach may even derail and ruin the important causes of the Chinese community.
Such inflexible dogmatic approaches have caused the Chinese community to be caught in a long-term infighting, and community crisis. Feelings have been hurt, resources have been wasted, and the community confidence being eroded. Aren't the Chinese education activists ashamed of the whole scandalous scenario?
Just as the Federation of Alumni Associations of Taiwan Universities, Malaysia (FAATUM) president Yau Teck Kong said, the Dong Zong and Lim Lian Geok Foundation are supported by the financial contributions from the Chinese community. Although their leaders and officials are not publicly elected, they are morally answerable and responsible to the Chinese education supporters.
No matter how high the status Chinese education organizations enjoy and how noble they are, they still have to accept the public and media scrutiny.
If they get into meaningless quarrels or are doing things harmful to the community, they will have to be held accountable.
The Chinese education leaders are not saints, they do make mistakes too. For example, their interference in the BN during the 1982 general election was contrary to its “principle of transcending political parties”. Also, it was a reckless move for Dong Zong to condemn the Nobel Peace Prize Committee for awarding the prize to jailed China dissident Liu Xiaobo.
They should evaluate their leadership styles and ways of doing things, and be willing to accept new ideas and information to make adjustments and changes. These are qualities that the leaders should have.
In the era of globalization, domestic political situation is rapidly changing. Chinese education leaders should work together with other racial groups to build a network and force to defend and develop mother tongue education.
The outside world is big, and quarreling over small matters within a tiny box shows that the Malaysian Chinese education groups have not truly matured. To gain respect of others, we must first respect ourselves.
- Sin Chew Daily
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