Vernacular schools fail to pay electricity due to bigoted policies

Kor Ming is the MP for Taiping

Nga Kor Ming

The recent incident that the electricity supply for SJK Yik Min and SJK Yee Min in Kedah were cut off by the power supplier, Tenaga Nasional Berhad(TNB) clearly reflects the sad state of the Government aided school in our country.

Both schools were found to be unable to pay the electricity charges due to shortage of funds and allocations. This is the result of BN bigoted and outrageous discrimination policies. As a matter of fact, the Education Ministry will be given RM6.4 billions development allocation for all primary schools in 2011 but 95.1% will go to National School and only less than 3.9% will be distributed equally among SJK (C ), SJK (T), Ministry schools, sekolah Agama Rakyat etc.

It is incredible that while the BN regime is implementing a RM1.4 trillions Economic Transformation programme(ETP) to turn Malaysia into a high income country, the real “Bolehland” cannot afford to pay the electricity bills of our poor schools.

Why can't the government just treat all schools equally with a central payment system, instead of forcing our children to suffer? Where is the Government's priority?

民主行动党今日对吉打益民华小及育民华小因无法缴付电费遭割电深表痛心并要政府全面停止歧视华小的政策。

吡州行动党主席拿督倪可汉及州秘书倪可敏今日联合批评教育部失职及马华的无能才导致华小因无法缴付电费遭割电的事件发生。

也是太平区国会议员的倪可敏指出，教育部为全国国小采取“中央付款制度”，使国小生可以安枕无忧，但是华小却须以数额有限的行政拨款来支付水电费，这使到华小财政左支右绌，甚至有华小被迫用食堂租金支付水电费，家长自付电费月捐，这真叫华社情何以堪。

倪可敏指出，虽然1996年教育法令承认全体华小法定地位，教育部却自行把华小分为全津贴与半津贴，对华小采取厚此薄彼的态度。

他表示，全国总共有1292间华小，其中高达三分二或884间华小被政府列为半津贴，由于施政不公，校方只能以数额有限的行政拨款来支付水电费，捉襟见衬、身心俱疲。他呼吁教育部一视同仁为全国小学采取“中央付款制度”，使莘莘学子可以安枕无忧、安心求学。“政府高喊“一个马来西亚”，为何连学校都有不同等级、不同待遇？”他质问。

他点出，“明年的财政预算案政府对教育部发出357亿令吉拨款，其中行政开销高达293亿，发展拨款则是64亿。在教育部64亿发展拨款中，国小囊括了95.1%或60亿8600万，只余2亿5000万于全国的华淡小及教会学校, 华小分不到一巴仙，这种不公情况须即刻纠正，教育更不应沦为政治糖果来误导人民。”

行动党建议马华应联合出任副教育部长的魏家祥向巫统据理力争，只要拨款符合学子比率，华小可得10亿元，屆時水电杂费问题必迎刃而解，根本无须再担惊受怕。

倪可敏今日联同木威区国会议员拿督倪可汉受邀出席班台印裔协会推动的雪中送炭佈施活动后向媒体发言如是表示。出席者包括行动党班台旺花园支部主席克里斯南、班台支部主席林宗荣、秘书姚顺吉等人，场面温馨热闹。

(图) 倪可敏联同木威区国会议员拿督倪可汉出席班台印裔协会推动的雪中送炭佈施活动派发红包结小孩，场面温馨热闹。右为克里斯南。