The DAP has pledged its full support for the "Save Chinese Education Rally" organised by the Chinese education rights coalition Dong Jiao Zong (DJZ), which will be held on March 25.

Scheduled to be held at the New Era College in Kajang, the rally is to protest against the Education Ministry's policy to deploy hundreds of teachers without Chinese language qualification to teach in Chinese primary schools.

DJZ, which is a coalition of the United Chinese School Committees Association and the United Chinese School Teachers Association, has demanded that the ministry transfers all such teachers out of Chinese primary schools.

Chinese educationists have always seen such a policy as a move to weaken the development of Chinese primary schools.

The rally also aims to highlight enduring discrimination against Chinese schools, including the shortage of teachers and development funds.

NONE It is expected that more than 4,000 people will attend the rally.

DAP leaders led by secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today called on DJZ and held a dialogue with its leadership, headed by Yap Sin Tian.

After the dialogue, DAP vice-chairperson Tan Kok Wai ( left ) said the party would mobilise its members to attend the rally.

Lim, who is also the chief minister of Penang, said DJZ's demands were in line with one of DAP's principles, which is to include mother tongue education into the mainstream education system and to provide it with an institutionalised allocation.

Asked whether its support for DJZ would raise suspicions against the party from people of the other races, Lim stressed that DAP has always supported mother tongue education of all the ethnic communities, including people's religious schools.