Statement Released by Dong Zong

July 2, 2018

Dong Zong’s Consistent Position: Vernacular School Construction

Should be Systemised

Malaysia Chinese Association Deputy President Dato Sri Wee Ka Siong recently claimed that on 10 October 2017, he and MCA President Dato Sri Liow Tiong Lai had briefed the Presidents of Dong Zong and Jiao Zong on the perspective location and reasons of construction and relocation of national-type Chinese primary schools and it was not objected. Nonetheless, they were transfixed on 29 June this year after having learned from Dong Zong’s statement that their proposal was strongly questioned. In response to this, a clarification is forwarded herewith.

1. Dong Zong reiterates, on the matter of striving for more build-on for Chinese primary schools, its position is one of systematisation. Whether it is under the former or present government, Dong Zong insists that in terms of construction, the government needs to accord vernacular schools with that of the national schools’ thus providing sufficient vernacular schools (Chinese and Tamil) systematically with funds and land provided complimentarily.

2. Dong Zong hereby rectifies, a memorandum was submitted to MCA President Dato Sri Liow Tiong Lai and Deputy President Dato Sri Wee Ka Siong last October 10 when they met up. The contents of the memorandum cover imminent yet-to-be-settled Chinese education issues including the approval of the construction of additional independent Chinese secondary schools, the systematisation of national-type Chinese primary schools, fair appropriation to national-type Chinese primary schools and systemised appropriation to independent Chinese secondary schools as well as the acceptance of the UEC.

Last November 12 in the Penang Island and Seberang Perai Chinese School Boards Federation dinner, the President of Dong Zong commented on the “Construction and Relocation Plan of the ‘10+6’ Chinese Primary Schools”; he pointed out that the reason given for relocation by the government was unspecific. Six days later (November 18), Dong Zong’s central committee members mooted on the matter and decided to collect the exact number and location of construction and relocation needs from all states nationwide. Likewise, in a newspaper feature interview on 21 January this year, the President of Dong Zong disclosed most of the sixteen yet-to-be-relocated and constructed Chinese primary schools proposed in the “Construction and Relocation Plan of the ‘10+6’ Chinese Primary Schools” were mostly located in newly developed areas which backfired the genuine needs shown by Dong Zong’s survey.

On that score, Dato Sri Wee Ka Siong’s comment “…their proposal was not objected by Dong Zong” is unwarranted. He is, on the above matter, sincerely advised to refer and comment prudently.

3. Immediately after the May 9 election this year, the building committee secretary for the five newly constructed Chinese primary schools and two relocation primary schools Dato Tan Cher Puk reckoned the Pakatan Harapan government needed to appropriate as soon as possible to ensure the completion of the project smoothly, in particular the expense of RM20,000,000 needed for the first phase. The incomprehensible part being, were those ground breaking ceremonies for the few Chinese primary school constructions held before the election embarked without appropriation? The query is, during the span of some five months in between from the announcement made on last October 26 for the approval of the construction of ten and relocation of six Chinese primary schools until April 7 when the parliament was dissolved, did the government of the day formally appropriate for the project? Why didn’t the government formally allocate reserve lots of land for the construction of all the sixteen Chinese primary schools, but instead prompted private housing developers to donate the lots?

We are more than delighted when the Minister of Education Dr Maszlee pronounced the review of the eight to-be-constructed schools under the “Construction and Relocation Plan of the ‘10+6’ Chinese Primary Schools”. Our major intent is not only to clarify the mentioned queries but request for suitable lots allocation for the construction of Chinese primary schools in dense region.

4. In this train of thought, we appeal all parties to let go of their persistence and solve the problem from the pretexts of a respect for mother tongue education and the societal needs of education. We also expect the new government of the day to show determination in reform and sincerely abandons unitary education policy imposed by the former government and be fair in education treatment for all ethnic groups in the country. It is our belief that for a long-lasting solution on the above matter, “Black Box” practice needs to be replaced by transparency. An education think-tank committee formed by the MOE which includes political party members, educationists as well as stakeholders from all sectors working heartily together to provide professional advice on the relocation and construction of Chinese primary schools is thus anticipated.