Joint Statement Made by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

August 3, 2019

In response to the recent report made by Sinchew Daily and Utusan Malaysia pointing out that Dong Zong and relevant organisations will stage a rally on the 5 of August with the intent to voice objection against the additional Jawi Scripts Learning in the Bahasa Melayu subject in vernacular primary schools, Dong Jiao Zong feels that the misnomers in their reports were dubious as well as misleading and a redress is urgently needed. This statement is thus forwarded.

1. Dong Jiao Zong clarifies that there will be no rally of any sorts to be staged on the Jawi scripts learning issue but an internal meeting held for Chinese organisations and Tamil associations. Its objective is to exchange views on the Jawi scripts learning in national-type Chinese and Tamil primary schools. The meeting will be held upon the equal footing of informed pedagogy, learning effectiveness, real situation, practical function, the promotion of Bahasa Melayu knowledge and the mastery of the language to examine the Jawi scripts learning implementation raised by the Ministry of Education. Meanwhile, participants in the meeting will also further study the latest statement released by the Ministry of Education the previous day.

2. The attendees in this internal meeting will mull on the appreciation of Jawi scripts implemented by the Ministry. Dong Jiao Zong has no objection on any cultural interactions between ethnic groups and the promotion of value and harmony existing in the multicultural society imposed by the Ministry. It is solely that any worrying approach employed to tackle the issue should not be in place before any fruitful discussions and exchanges are obtained between the educational parties and stakeholders in this multicultural society.

3. Dong Jiao Zong is worried that any inaccurate reports will likely beckon misunderstanding and suspicions or worse still, conflicts. Dong Jiao Zong therefore hereby pronounces and emphasises the August 5 meeting is merely an internal meeting for specially invited organisations from various communities and it is not a rally as reported.