Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

February 25, 2023

Detailed Appropriation Listing for All Streams of Schools Expected—

Development Support for MISCCs and Privately-run University Colleges

In Budget 2023 submitted by the Prime Minister cum Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim, appropriation is front-listed, showing that the government takes education as priority. Yet in Budget 2023, to our greatest regret, no detailed listing of appropriation for all streams of schools is noted, let alone the mention of national-type high schools, Catholic schools, MICSSs (Malaysian Independent Chinese Secondary Schools) and the three private-run university colleges.

In this Budget, the Ministry of Education received the most appropriation (RM55.2 billion) though there is a decrease of RM400 million (RM55.6 billion) compared to the announcement made last October. Still, there is an increase of RM2.6 billion (RM52.6 billion). What needs to be noted here being, the maintenance and promotion fund for all streams of schools in this Budget decreases to RM900 million compared to the previous 1.1 billion proposed by the former government. However, whether electric and water as well as sewage appropriation will be released is yet to be clarified. In this respect, we anticipate the government to refer to Budget 2019 and 2020 in which the appropriation for national primary, vernacular Chinese and Tamil primary, national-type high schools, Catholic schools, full boarding schools, Mara junior science colleges, private religion schools, MICSSs and privately-run university colleges (New Era, Southern and Han Chiang University College of Communication) were listed in detail.

Disappointingly in Budget 2023, neither Chinese nor Tamil primary schools are among the seven new schools to be constructed. We reckon, vernacular Chinese and Tamil primary school are part of the national education system. Thus, be it appropriation, land grant, additional school construction or relocation, the government of the day is obliged to attend to it systematically responsive to demographic and educational needs. Therefore, in Budget 2023, the above-mentioned need to be incorporated so that fund and land needed for school construction will be addressed to ensure earlier completion and use.

We opine, the Unity Government led by the Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim should not follow the old way of Barisan Nasional and National Alliance Party. In the face of appropriation towards all streams of schools and privately-run non-profited educational institutions, equal treatment is expected. Further, in the upcoming Budget debate, we wish to see how appropriation will be distributed in transparency, including publicised details on maintenance and promotion appropriation and school construction project, etc.