Groups slam govt for 'silence' on anti-Chinese school protest

 

The government has been accused of turning a blind eye to threats to vernacular schools.

This is after Umno supreme council member Armand Azha Abu Hanifah and a group of residents in Bandar Kinrara, Puchong, held a protest against the construction of a Chinese school in the area.

Malaysian Chinese Language Council (MCLC), Seni Khat Action Team (Sekat), and NGO KitabantuKita.Org said the government's silence on the matter was telling.

MCLC president Eddie Heng Hong Chai (above) also claimed there was selective prosecution when it came to defending education rights.

"I object to the government's silence towards those who create a negative impact and divisiveness towards vernacular schools, while at the same time charging individuals who gathered peacefully to protect vernacular schools," he said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

Heng was referring to eight members from the United Chinese School Association of Jerantut who were charged with unlawful assembly in February over a protest against the implementation of Jawi lessons for vernacular schools.

On April 19, Armand, who is also Subang Umno chief, led a group of residents to protest against the construction of SJKC Too Joon Hing, saying a national school for all races should be built instead.

Drawing comparisons between the two protests, Heng questioned why no action had been taken against the Bandar Kinrara protesters.

"There should be a stop to this. If not, it could lead to a split in national unity," he said.

Meanwhile, a KitabantuKita.Org representative, Professor Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi, rejected views that mother tongue education threatened national unity.

"Hang Tuah is said to have been fluent in 12 languages. So, learning more than one language is a good thing," the Islamic architecture expert said. - Mkini