Education is particularly important for Chinese families, and it is a key issue for the community in the lead up to GE 13. In this area, Barisan Nasional is far ahead of Pakatan Rakyat as the Government has implemented several measures to improve Chinese education and to support Chinese medium schools.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak pointed out recently that Malaysia is the only country outside China that recognises Chinese education as part of the national education system.
“Our founding fathers have decided that integration is the best way forward. They didn’t decide on assimilation. We differ from Indonesia, Thailand, we even differ from Singapore.
“You can say what you like, but you cannot forget that we are the only country that has Chinese education as part of our system,” Najib said at MCA’s recent Annual General Assembly.
During an interview on Mandarin radio station Melody FM last week, the Prime Minister spoke at length on his aspirations for the Chinese community. He discussed the efforts being made to ensure the development and continuation of Chinese medium schools, an important issue for most Chinese parents.
He reiterated the Barisan Nasional Government’s decision that Chinese schools will remain a part of the national education system.
Najib explained that when he was Education Minister, he had removed Section 21(2) of the Education Act 1961 that allowed the minister to convert a national type primary school to a national primary school. This, he said, showed that the Government was sincere in recognising Chinese education.
Answering questions from listeners, Najib said he had announced a RM100-million allocation for national type Chinese schools in the country in Budget 2013. He also said that the top 50 students of Chinese independent secondary schools were given scholarships to pursue their tertiary education.
On the shortage of teachers in Chinese primary schools, Najib said the eight-point plan to address issues in Chinese vernacular schools was being implemented now.
“It is under the purview of the deputy minister of education and he is making sure that it will be implemented,” he said.
The Prime Minister also made it clear that the existence of 60 Chinese independent schools was assured.
“The rest of the schools are conforming schools. In other words, they take the national examination,” he said.
Najib pointed out that Chinese education should not be politicised, but instead seen as an aspect of nation-building.
“I believe we don’t have any kind of stigma. My own son, Ashman, speaks fluent Mandarin.
“I believe it is good for the Malays to learn Mandarin just as it is important for Malaysian Chinese to be fluent in Bahasa (Melayu) as Bahasa, of course, is our national language,” he said last week.
For Chinese families, BN’s commitment to supporting education standards within the community stands in stark contrast to the negative approach of de facto Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when he was Education Minister.
Anwar had punished Chinese schools, in particular Christian Chinese schools, by marginalising them and cutting funding.
As Malaysia’s continues to grow, the demands for quality education, regardless of community, will become more and more pronounced.
The Prime Minister said that all vernacular schools, including Chinese schools, would therefore benefit from the landmark National Education Blueprint.
Najib has always been the Prime Minister for the whole nation, not for a single community. Unlike Pakatan’s method of playing one community against each other for the sake of votes, Najib has always supported all the communities that make up our diverse nation.
He has used interviews and speeches to clear the air on Chinese education, and to reassure the community that the federal Government has its best interests at heart.
Chinese voters are increasingly supporting the Prime Minister for delivering a stable government, peaceful co-existence, and the holistic growth that are important to the Chinese community. With vernacular education also assured, support for BN is bound to increase further.