Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

September 3, 2018

Dong Zong and Jiao Zong are transfixed and forward this joint statement in response to the many agendas approved in the Congress on the Future of Bumiputeras & the Nation (KBN 2018), including taking the national education vision as yardstick to reform the existing education system aiming to eventually consolidate unitary education system.

1. The Pakatan Harapan has always been criticising the unfair education system imposed by the former government and claimed that just treatment towards all ethnic groups would be practiced once they received the mandate to govern. As such, with the advent of Pakatan Harapan sovereign, Chinese communities in general, including Dong Zong and Jiao Zong were exalted with expectations, hoping that broader leeway for education development and fair education treatment would be granted. Yet Dong Zong and Jiao Zong were dumbfounded by the unitary education proposal approved in the Congress on the Future of Bumiputeras & the Nation organised by the KBN themed “Addressing the Challenges Faced by Bumiputeras in the New Malaysia”. The re-raised Vision School model which “uses Bahasa Melayu as the sole medium of instruction” in particular, coupled with the approved unitary education proposal echoing is indeed repugnant towards other ethnic communities. We wish that the government would abandon the unitary education system implemented by the former government to realise party alteration that occurred only after 61 years of independence but to advance the country in a positive, open, pluralistic track accordingly.

2. Dong Zong and Jiao Zong understand that Malaysia is a multi-racial and multi-cultural nation; she has since been practicing pluralistic education system and established vernacular schools using mother tongue as medium of instruction at the elementary level for Malay, Chinese and Indian responsive to their mother tongue education needs. In fact, it is the right of the ethnic groups to enjoy mother togue education granted by the Institution. Based on this understanding, we believe the effort to push forward unitary education system not only goes against the spirit of the Institution and independence, but also infringes the rights of the races and it is therefore uncompromising.

3. History informs us that the existence of multi-stream education has helped many a nation to foster polymaths and contributed profusely towards prosperity. This unique inherence is our country’s heritage and our competitiveness owed it to a great extent. In this vein, we hope the new government will safeguard and enhance multi-stream education for the upward mobility of the nation. The proposal raised in the Congress on the Future of Bumiputeras & the Nation is in reality an obsolete unitary mindset of the 50’s. This ideology aiming to subsequently terminate multi-stream education system is feudal and outdated, not to mention its extreme essence and thus should be reprimanded and curbed as it seriously poses harm towards national unity and harmony and is totally unhealthy towards nation advancement.

4. The Prime Minister Tun Mahathir promised on the National Day that the new government would be fair in treatment on all areas towards the many ethnic groups in the country. It is undoubtedly the longing expectation of the nation. Therefore, Dong Zong and Jiao Zong wish the Prime Minister would walk his talk and honour his promises, including the many promises made for Chinese education stated in Pakatan Harapan’s election manifesto. Simultaneously, Dong Zong and Jiao Zong also urge the new government to reformulate a much more pluralistic, open and fairer education policy for the nation thus acknowledging the contribution and value of multi-stream education as well as busting the besetting stereotyped opinion of not being fair towards Chinese education in one thrust.