The education ministry's embarrassing move to amend a parliamentary reply on the issue of Chinese independent schools has exposed the BN federal government's true colours, says DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

"Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin finally told the truth in Parliament. He said the current 60 Chinese independent high schools in the country do not abide by the national curriculum under the Education Act 1961.

NONE "Hence the government will not allow the establishment of new Chinese independent high schools. In other words, it is impossible to establish new Chinese independent high schools," Lim (left) said in a statement today.

The parliamentary reply was issued two days ago to a question raised by BN's Pandan MP Ong Tee Keat, but yesterday the ministry suddenly retracted the reply and replaced it with a revised version, possibly to avert a backlash from Chinese voters.

The revised version took out the part on the cessation of applications for Chinese independent schools, replacing it with a new statement that said their status quo remains.

segamat chinese independent school rally 090712 05 The question is of great concern to the Chinese community as Chinese education groups are currently seeking clarification from the ministry whether the recently approved Kuantan Chong Hwa High School is a genuine Chinese independent school with Chinese as the language of instruction with its students allowed to sit for the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) test.

Many Chinese education groups ,including the influential United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong), have claimed that the approval letter from the education ministry is equivocal over the medium of language and the school's main qualification examination.

Mouth spouting words both sides

But both the MCA and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak have clarified that it is a ‘genuine' Chinese independent school

In his statement, Lim stressed that although the revised parliamentary reply has removed the part "their (Chinese independent high schools) construction applications are no longer open", the revised version also did not state that the applications are allowed.

"The action of BN federal government has revealed its true colours. It is using the Kuantan Chong Hwa High School as a smokescreen to fish for votes before the general election. It will renege on it after the the election."

NONE Lim, who is also Penang chief minister, urged Muhyiddin ( left ) to give a clear answer on the status of the Kuantan Chong Hwa high school before the polls, recognise all Chinese independent high schools and allow their construction.

Dong Zong also issued a statement today criticising Muhyiddin for his parliamentary reply.

The umbrella body of all Chinese schools' boards of directors stressed that Chinese independent high schools are designed based on the national curriculum with extra input from those of other countries, including the US, UK, China, Taiwan and Singapore.

"The prime minister and deputy prime minister have, at different venues, publicly recognised the outstanding performance of Chinese independent high schools' students and their contribution to nation building.

"Muhyiddin's Nov 22 parliamentary reply has contradicted the premier's and his previous statements recognising Chinese independent high schools," it said.

Dong Zong also reiterated that the reply has again confirmed that Kuantan Chong Hwa High School is not a Chinese independent high school, merely another private national school.

Hence ,the group called on the people to attend its mega rally on Sunday at Petaling Jaya to protest the National Education Blueprint 2013-2025 which it said will result in a single-stream education system with the Malay language as the medium of instruction.

Education Ministry patches botched written reply