Politicians exploiting race divide us, not vernacular schools - DAP Youth

 

DAP Youth has indicated that shutting down politicians who exploit racial issues, rather than vernacular schools, is the real solution to strengthening racial unity in Malaysia.

“Most racial issues stem from a handful of politicians who deliberately use racial issues as political tools, not from vernacular schools themselves,” said the wing’s vice-chief Harish Liinesh Selluandan.

Harish (above) emphasised that unity cannot be built by suppressing one side but through providing equal opportunities for all to grow and progress together.

“If we truly want to build strong national unity, we must ensure a fair and inclusive education system for all, without racial or religious discrimination,” he added in a statement.

Harish was commenting on Umno Youth exco Wan Zuhir Ghazali’s call to abolish vernacular schools under the pretext of strengthening national unity.

Umno Youth exco Wan Zuhir Ghazali

Dismissing the call as “baseless and narrow-minded”, he said unity cannot be achieved by denying the right to education in one's mother tongue, which has long been an integral part of the national education system.

“DAP Youth asserts that vernacular schools are not an obstacle to national unity; rather, they are part of the diversity that strengthens Malaysia as a multi-ethnic nation.

“The existence of vernacular schools is guaranteed by the Constitution, and they are not the main cause of division, as often claimed by certain parties.

“Studies and experiences from other countries have shown that multi-lingual education provides advantages for a nation's social and economic development,” he added.

Understanding and acceptance

Harish said unity should be nurtured through understanding and acceptance among races, not by eliminating diversity.

“If the true aim is to teach the history of all ethnic groups at the primary school level for the sake of unity, this can be done without abolishing vernacular schools,” he added.

Furthermore, Harish said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has stressed that the ministry continues to recognise vernacular schools within the framework of national education, in line with the Education Act 1996.

He said DAP Youth rejects any proposal that seeks to “scapegoat” vernacular schools in national unity issues.

The Umno Youth leader’s call to shut down vernacular schools was in response to DAP lawmaker Khoo Poay Tiong suggesting that the history of all Malaysian races be included in formal education.

Vernacular schools are not race segregated, with Chinese schools becoming an increasingly popular choice with Malays.

It was reported last week that all Year One students enrolled in SJKC Kong Aik in Mata Ayer, Perlis were not Chinese. In fact, 93 of the 190 students at the school were Malay.

SJKC and its Tamil counterpart SJKT also follow the same syllabus as national schools. However, independent Chinese schools have a different syllabus.

Apex court verdict

On Feb 20 last year, the Federal Court dismissed two NGOs' bid for leave to appeal to nullify the validity of vernacular schools.

A three-person Federal Court bench chaired by Mary Lim Thiam Suan, in a 2-1 majority, denied leave appeal for the Islamic Education Development Council (Mappim) and the Confederation of Malaysian Writers Association (Gapena).

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