Former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy has taken aim at Umno Youth leader Dr Muhamad Akmal Salleh, saying that the latter is barking up the wrong tree in examining racial polarisation in the country.
In a statement today, Ramasamy questioned if Akmal wanted to do away with vernacular schools in calling for a review of the system.
“He seems deluded in thinking that vernacular schools are the cause of racial polarisation, leading to disunity in the country.
“This is the reason why he proposed that the government undertake a review of the vernacular schools with the aim of strengthening the Malay language.
“Is he suggesting that vernacular schools in the country be done away with?
“Is he equating vernacular schools with the ethnic and religious polarisation in the country,” said Ramasamy, who quit DAP to lead Tamil rights organisation Urimai.
Vernacular schools reflect division, not cause
He said just because national schools are publicly funded, it does not make them good.
“These schools leave much to be desired in terms of promoting national unity in the country.
“Anyway, schools whether they are vernacular or national, are not the primary cause of national unity.
“They merely reflect the politics of ethnic divisions in the country. These schools are the stark manifestations of racial and religious disunity in the country,” he said.
Yesterday, Akmal called for the government to conduct a detailed evaluation of the vernacular education system, by inculcating nationalistic aspects while strengthening its students’ command of the Malay language.
“At the same time, we urge the government to improve the national education system and come up with measures to attract students from all races.
“The government should also consider interim measures such as medium and long-term road maps towards an integrated education model, which is based on common values and sense of belonging among the multiracial nation, without setting aside the rights of races in Malaysia to preserve the heritage of their respective mother tongues,” he said in a statement.
Politicians should renounce divisive politics instead
On Wednesday (March 6), Akmal suggested for Putrajaya to refine the schooling system, saying that perhaps the time has come for a single-stream education system to be implemented.
Ramasamy, in rebuttal, claimed that the near exclusion of non-Malays in the public sector and discrimination in admissions to university and pre-university programmes have fuelled the existence of vernacular schools in the country.
He added that Akmal as an Umno politician should know that his party had a role in shaping the political system with its brand of racial hegemonic politics for decades after political independence.
“Instead of focusing on vernacular or national schools, Akmal should find out what really ails the political system in the country today.
“If only politicians are prepared to move away from the straight jacket of divisive politics, there is no way that the school system can be reformed for the better.
“What is the use of faulting the vernacular schools, if the real source of ethnic and religious polarisation is in the way politics is organised in the country,” said Ramasamy.
He asked if Umno was prepared to move away from the confines of ethnicity and admit non-Malays to the party.
“Maybe Umno politicians should move away from finding fault with vernacular schools, but instead suggest ways and means to come up with an integrated system of education where Chinese and Indians will be confident that their mother tongue education will be protected.
“Since DAP and Umno are buddies in the Pakatan Harapan-BN government, I wonder what will be the response of the former towards the latter wanting to review the vernacular schools system,” he added.
Akmal’s comments came despite the Federal Court’s dismissal of two NGOs’ bid for leave to appeal to nullify the validity of vernacular schools in the country.
On Feb 20, the apex court denied leave appeal for the Islamic Education Development Council and the Confederation of Malaysian Writers Association.
The groups failed in their legal challenge at both the High Court and Court of Appeal levels over the constitutionality of 1,302 Mandarin schools and 527 Tamil schools nationwide. - Mkini
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