Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim today challenged the Barisan Nasional government to come up with a clear and definitive policy on Chinese education within three months.

Anwar who led opposition party Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in a dialogue with Chinese education movement Dong Jiao Zong (DJZ) in Kajang today, said the government must prove to the people its commitment by formulating an education policy that is fair to all races.

"Give them three months. Don't allow them to continue using the issue as bait for the Chinese community during elections. If not the Chinese would continuously be cheated while the Malays would gain nothing," Anwar told DJZ officials.

"For a government to come up with a clear education policy, it must have sincerity and courage as the issue affects not only the present but also the future generation. But the BN does not have these elements.

"And that is why it has a leader who makes a stand one day, only to ask his officer to change the stand (in a statement to) the Chinese media - while the Malay media that highlighted the issue was not given the same opportunity (to publish the statement). Itu cara politik kampung 50 tahun dulu!"

He was referring to recent controversy over MCA's proposal for more Chinese-language schools which provoked protests among Umno leaders, including Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was reported to have said that the increase would not promote national integration.

However, Abdullah's political secretary Dr Vincent Lim then issued a statement to the Chinese dailies that the premier's statement had been misunderstood.

Position of Bahasa Malaysia

In his address, Anwar admitted that he was hesitant to entertain the requests for more Chinese schools while he was in office.

"But then we (the Malays) were unsure of the Chinese educators' commitment to the national language. Some of the DJZ officials knew me then. I used to have meetings and argue over the same issue then. But at least I made the point to hear them out.

"But now the proponents of Chinese education do not negate the importance of Bahasa Malaysia as the national language and have in fact conceded its importance. This is why I believe that the demand for more Chinese schools should be allowed."

However, he cautioned, that each request must be studied properly, according to the demands of each community.

Anwar also expressed dissatisfaction over the current system of teaching mathematics and science in English. He said this has not only belittled the importance of the national language but has failed to achieve the original aim to improve the standard of English.

Meanwhile Dong Zong deputy chairperson Dr Yap Sin Tian said the number of Chinese schools has not increased since the time of Merdeka although the number of students has doubled.

"In the 1960s we had about 1,000 schools with 350,000 students. In 2005, there has been little change in the number of schools despite the huge increase of students - there are only 1,280 schools catering for over 640,000 students."

He said that, during every general election, the Barisan Nasional would assure the Chinese community that it will allow more Chinese schools but the promise has proved to be "mere political talk".

"We have urged the government to formulate a clear policy on Chinese education under the Ninth Malaysian Plan. Prove to us that this is not just a tool to win the elections," he added.

Following the hour-long closed door dialogue with DJZ, PKR deputy president Dr Syed Husin Ali announced that the groups had come to an understanding on several education-related issues:

1) To upgrade the status of Bahasa Malaysia as the national language and to stop attempts to disparage it;

2) To allow the people the right to choose the type of education and language they want for their children, in line with the Federal Constitution and the education policy;

3) To provide more room for democratisation of education; and

4) To demand that the government re-open SJKC Damansara immediately.