After reprimand from Maszlee, Nga is touched that many 'sayang' him

Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Nga Kor Ming said he was touched that many people "sayang" (like) and pay attention to him.

This is after Education Ministry Maszlee Malik reprimanded Nga for a school banner that featured the deputy speaker.

The banner displayed by SJK(C) Min Te, a school in Ayer Tawar, Manjung which carried the government coat of arms but was written in Chinese.

'I thank the education minister for his concern. I feel touched that many people sayang me.

"Anywhere I go, people pay attention to me and watch where I go," Nga told journalists in Kuala Lumpur today.

Nga, who is also the Teluk Intan MP, said he has spoken to Maszlee regarding the banner in private.

The deputy speaker had uploaded on Instagram a picture of the banner displayed by the school of which he is an alumnus.

The banner (below) welcomed Nga to the school but the only words in the national language were the school's name, date and time of the event.

This prompted Maszlee to leave a comment and advising Nga to inform the school that it should include the national language as it carried the government's coat of arms.

"Sorry YB. As the poster uses the government's coat of arms and you are a representative of the government, the poster must be written in the national language.

"Kindly advise the school," Maszlee posted.

Nga described the exchange as a misunderstanding.

"It is just a misunderstanding which we do not want to turn into an issue.

"What is important is that we go to the ground to help any school," he said, adding that national-type schools must respect the use of the national language.

"It is a compulsory subject but in terms of the federal constitution, let us not deny the right of schools from all streams to learn their own mother tongue," Nga said.

He added that these schools all have their own heritage and this is what makes Malaysia "Truly Asia". - Mkini