Statement Released by Dong Zong
April 4, 2017
Calling up for Cross Racial Expanded Conference on the UEC Recognition
Dong Zong herewith releases this statement with reference to the absurd and unfounded allegations raised by Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia in their round table meeting entitled “Controversy of the UEC” asserting they are against the official recognition of the UEC:
1. We understand under the Education Act, all vernacular schools are granted the rights to exist respectively; parents are allowed to send their children to whichever vernacular school they willed and nobody is allowed to intentionally corelate patriotism with their choice. According to the Federal Constitution article 152, in the process of according Bahasa Melayu as the national language, other ethnic groups are granted the right to learn, use and develop their own mother tongue and this is an unanimously agreed right under the independence agreement and should not be infringed. From prior to earning her independence till an independent nation now, all vernacular schools have been coexisted harmoniously in Malaysia; in this vein, the official recognition and acceptance of the UEC does not in any way go against the constitutional spirit and principle which might harm the official status of Bahasa Melayu.
We posit, Malaysia independent Chinese secondary schools (henceforth MICSS) enjoy their legal status in the Education Act and it is unchallengeable under the law; the Education Act endows parent and their children to freely choose, including the right to study in independent Chinese secondary school and no one can in any way questions, denies and exploits their right. Evidently, any one country which is responsive to the open and multiplicity trend of the world education will prosper continuously; in contrary, isolated, narrow-minded and unitary views and behaviours contribute to backwardness.
2. We regret some organisations and individuals are making blocking and extremist comments against independent Chinese secondary schools which are absurd and unwarranted though they hardly know what the UEC and Malaysia Independent Chinese Secondary Schools are. As such, we conclude them incorrect and irrational in response towards both the UEC and independent Chinese secondary schools.
3. We reiterate, the MICSS unified curriculum is relevant and responsive to the multiple needs of our country which refers to the international secondary curriculum in formulation and redaction as well as observing and taking the national curriculum as the blueprint. Simply put, spiritually, localisation and multiplicity are embedded in the MICSS unified curriculum; whereas in terms of contents, the priority goes to the nurture of patriotism and cosmopolitan view, as well as taking competences like morality, intelligence, physical health, teamwork and aesthetics into account for the production of all rounding polymaths.
In the meantime, Bahasa Melayu as a subject has never been neglected in the MICSS unified curriculum over the years and has been revered as the national language. Therefore, any rebuke alleging that MICSS unified curriculum disarrays the national education is a false and unfounded assertion.
4. To make MICSS unified curriculum and the UEC more intelligible to the general public, Dong Zong will soon co-organise a cross racial expanded UEC conference with major education organisations inviting pundits and scholars, education organisations, representatives from Chinese community and all political parties to collect objective views based on reality and evidence specifically. We are convinced, through rational discussions and exchanges, the extant academic values and contributions of the UEC will be asserted and focused.