Anti-Chinese Schools, again...

Looks like the "Close down Chinese Schools" season has arrived... again. I wonder how long do they plan to continue this 'tradition'.

Excerpt from recent aticle from NST:

Utara Umno deputy division chief Mohamad Azli Mohemed Saad said the assembly should also discuss whether the vernacular school system should be continued.

“Many are of the opinion that Chinese vernacular schools have been exploited by opposition parties to incite hatred towards other races, and spread racial and anti-government sentiments.

“We should debate on whether Chinese vernacular schools should be abolished, or to increase the intake of Malay and Indian students, and teachers to 60 per cent (in such schools).”

Isn't it funny that those who hate Chinese schools are more passionate about vernacular education than those who actually attend these schools? Granted the former's passion is in closing these schools. Nevertheless, one can't help but to wonder, do they have too much time on their hands? I would think that there are more pressing issues that should be given attention... like the economy or wealth inequality, perhaps?

Anyway, if we look closely, we will find that it's all about politics. It's all part of the standard textbook stuff played out by our politicians on a regular basis.

The 'defenders' will talk...

Probe Umno man for sedition over call to scrap Chinese schools, says MCA

MCA religious harmony bureau chair Datuk Ti Lian Ker said Petaling Jaya Utara Umno deputy division chief Mohamad Azli Mohemed Saad’s proposal went against the Federal Constitution and contradicted Barisan Nasional’s policy in allowing Malaysians to study in their mother tongue.

“Not only has Mohamad Azli challenged the rights of all Malaysians to study their mother-tongue language, but he has also questioned the legitimate rights of the Chinese community to education, and his careless call is liable to create racial tension,” Ti said in a statement today.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/probe-umno-man-for-sedition-over-call-to-scrap-chinese-schools-says-mca#sthash.BqhEHAmp.dpuf

The so-called 'experts' will talk.... alot......

No, it’s not sedition. The constitutionality of vernacular schools is indeed in question — Faidhur Rahman Abdul Hadi 

.... At a glance these two provisos would appear to protect the existence of Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools.

However, a closer scrutiny of the said provisos to Article 152 would reveal otherwise, and this could be gleaned from the decision of the Federal Court in Merdeka University v Government of Malaysia.

In this case, Dong Zong had requested the Federal Government for an incorporation order issued pursuant to Section 6 of the University and University Colleges Act 1971 for the establishment of a university, namely the Merdeka University, using Mandarin Chinese as the medium of instruction. This was rejected by the Government at the time as being against the national education policy.

Subsequently, Dong Zong sued the Government at the High Court and was dismissed. This was appealed at the Federal Court and Their Lordships Lord President Suffian Chief Judge of Malaya Raja Azlan Shah J, Federal Court Justices Salleh Abas and Abdul Hamid held, by a majority (with Justice Seah disagreeing) that if an order for the incorporation of the university were to be made, it would be, notwithstanding its privately owned nature, a public authority as it would be exercising powers under the University and University Colleges Act 1971 as the legal basis for the functioning of the university.

And as the university would be a public authority, use of the Chinese language as the medium of instruction would be for an official purpose and thus, prohibited by Article 152(6) of the Federal Constitution......

..... But do the aforementioned provisos to Article 152(1) protect the right to receive instruction in a language other than the Malay language?

To this, His Lordship Suffian LP postulated that the word “using” in proviso (a) to Article 152 does not include “teaching in” any language apart from the national language.

.... In other words, no person shall be prohibited or prevented from teaching or learning Chinese or Tamil or, for that matter, any language which is not the national language in any school as a language subject, but such protection does not extend to the teaching or learning in a school where the teaching or learning is in any other language...

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/what-you-think/article/no-its-not-sedition.-the-constitutionality-of-vernacular-schools-is-indeed#sthash.u2yNzzTh.dpuf

 So, it is not uncontitutional to abolish Chinese Schools. In fact, Mandarin or any other language cannot be used as a medium of instruction except Bahasa Melayu.

What about English then? Shouldn't private colleges & universities like Sunway, Taylors, KDU, etc use Bahasa Melayu too?

The conclusion is, there is no point really to debate or talk about issues like this. The education policy supports abolishing Chinese schools in it's current form. They've already done it with the English-medium mission schools in the past.

Like it or not, all schools in every country are places of indoctrination. But Chinese Schools in Malaysia have been portrayed as indoctrination camps producing terribly racist and radical citizens who hate BN and Malays. According to their logic, once Chinese schools are abolished, corruption will disappear and the races will start loving each other, the country will prosper, everyone will be wealthy, cost of living and crime rate will go down, and there will be ever lasting peace, unity and happiness in Malaysia...

This is really getting old... If they think abolishing Chinese schools is such an urgent and major issue that is detrimental to the nation, the cabinet should act immediately. Just do it. Enough of talking.