A group of Orang Asli children in Johor were denied education allowance from the Orang Asli Department, purportedly for sending their children to a Chinese primary school instead of a national school.

For three decades, the Temuan living at Kampung Sungai Mering, Tangkak, had sent their children to Chuang Hwa Chinese Primary School in Muar, which is about 13km from their village and one of the nearest schools around.

Koh Swe Yong, a member of the Chung Hwa board of governors, told malaysiakini that from 1985 to 1991, the children had been receiving assistance from the Johor Orang Asli Welfare Department. However, it stopped in 1991.

"The reason given by the department was that attending a Chinese medium school disqualified the children from receiving the assistance," said Koh.

He added that various appeals made by the Chinese primary school and the Temuan community to the authorities were rejected on the grounds that it is a national policy.

Undeterred

Yesterday, eight of the Orang Asli children and two needy children studying at Chung Hwa received RM500 each from the National Human Rights Society (Hakam) to help subsidise their education expenses.

The livelihoods of many of the Temuan at Kampung Sungai Mering are dependent on the rubber smallholdings they own besides the jungle produce that they can collect. They earn between RM150 and RM500 monthly.

"The price of rubber is low, and what we can earn grows less," said Aslim Ulai, 34, who has five children, three of whom are in Chung Hwa.

Speaking in Bahasa Malaysia, he said the parents realised the importance of education and will insist on sending their children to school.

Aslim said those who enter the national schools will get the allowances. However, he stressed that the children prefer to go to the Chinese school as they can play with their Orang Asli friends.

"They like to study and mingle very well with other children in Bahasa (Malaysia) and Mandarin," he added.

Last year, nine Temuan children attended the Chinese school and three of them have gone on to secondary schools this year, he said.

Aslim also highlighted that before 1993, most of the impoverished Temuan were unable to support their children up to Year Six, and compounded by lack of transport, many of the children had to drop out of the school.

Hakam vice-president Yang Pei Keng said the regulation on the education allowance violates the right of parents to choose the type of education for their children.

"Chinese primary schools and the national schools are alike. They are both under the national education system. The government accord both equal treatment," said Yang.

Yang stressed that the Orang Asli is the poorest community in the country and their education should be subsidised.

Hunger strike

Meanwhile, a woman has been on a hunger strike in front of the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur since yesterday to protest against the closing of SJK (C) Damansara at the Damansara New Village.

Tuw Ah Mei, 58, DAP Pahang secretary, spent the whole of yesterday holding a cardboard that displayed the message: "Save the School, Conserve the School".

Tommy Chin, secretary of the action committee to save the school, and Tan Kok Wai, DAP member of Parliament for Cheras, visited her yesterday.

The vegetarian restaurant owner from Kuantan, Pahang, also asked for signatures from the public to support the campaign to save the school.

She slept at the hall last night and continued her hunger strike today.