The Chinese independent secondary schools are private schools. Why is the state government of Perak funneling taxpayers' money to them?

The charade by the United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia has gone on for far too long.

Private schools using Mandarin as the medium of instruction, who charge a monthly fee and operate independently should be labelled as such - not obscuring the truth by appealing to racist overtures (Chinese or Mandarin?) and false pretensions (independent or private?)

In a desperate bid to win over votes, BN Menteri Besar Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir allocated RM3.6 million from the state budget for annual disbursement to the nine so-called 'Chinese independent’ secondary schools.

Since many supporters of Chinese education have claimed that their schools are receiving interest across the different ethnic groups, perhaps it is time to remove the erroneous 'Chinese' label?

Since these schools are now receiving annual allocations from the state government, would this mean that they are now less 'independent'?

I am appalled to think of the precedent this will set. This is not about education, but about the misuse of taxpayers' money to gain short-term political mileage - ‘matlamat tidak menghalalkan cara’.

I hope the Education Ministry can think this through properly before allowing such transgressions to be repeated elsewhere.

This stinks of communal bribery, and unfortunately, the boards of governors of the nine ‘Chinese independent’ secondary schools seem happy to be part of this sham.