Feb 21 will be the International Mother Language Day, first observed by Unesco and its member states since 1999. It is one of the important milestones in recognising the importance of peaceful co-existence in a multi-ethnic world.
The Barisan Nasional government has granted limited support to minority groups for their mother tongue education. Chinese and Tamil education have been important political commodities for our race-based political parties.
PAS had promised a Chinese-language university in Malaysia if it gains control of the government in the coming election. DAP has been courting Dong Jiao Jong from 40 years ago on this political platform.
MCA and Gerakan have been providing educationists with some sweeteners for the election periods. The new leaders have voiced a supposed 100 percent support for mother tongue education rights, but none had actually delivered any significant policy change, other than having Tiger Beer and Carlsberg sponsor never-ending fundraising events to support independent Chinese schools.
The 10th Malaysian general election would be another season for politicising mother tongue education. Barisan Nasional would never endorse in writing that it will:
- Allow freedom to open new national-type Chinese schools according to the needs of the communities.
- Grant transparent per capita allocation of funds to Chinese schools.
- Give clear and defined guidelines for opening independent Chinese schools.
- Recognise the Combined Chinese Independent School Examination as a legitimate entrance exam into local universities.
PAS, in its Islamic State document has had more liberal guidelines on the freedom of mother tongue education, but the sincerity of the ulama has yet to be tested. Assessment of PAS inconsistency is based on the following incidents:
- Kuala Terengganu municipal government's dress code ruling forces non-Muslim into wearing Muslim dress. The very same administration also created racial segregation in its taxation system.
- A PAS prayer leader in Penang had commented that the gang rape and murder of 10-year-old Nurulhuda Abdul Ghani was God's retribution against the victim's father who, as an Umno division chief, was against hudud laws. If PAS can classify fellow Muslims of the same faith into different categories, what more damage can it do to the infidel non-Muslims?
International Mother Language Day should be a day to remind everyone the importance of cherishing our living heritage. The government must accord equal and just treatment to all types of schools in the nation.
