MCA has raised the old issue of increasing the number of Chinese schools but this was immediately condemned by Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

It looks like this is a never-ending appeal over the last 30 years but without any chance of success. Why? Because it contradicts the national education policy of having Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction.

But how successful has the national education policy been? There is a whole generation which cannot fit into private sector because of a lack of English skills..

Malaysia had tried to translate textbooks into Bahasa Malaysia without much progress. Local universities are teaching in BM but using mainly English textbooks. Imagine listening to lectures in BM, studying English textbooks and then doing assignments by transcribing back to BM!

All these wasteful efforts just to please our politicians' nationalistic objectives. And if a local graduate cannot find a job, he is given a chance to 'retrain' with a monthly allowance. Another unnecessary waste to cover up the weakness of the education policy.

What is more distressing is the fact that national education policy is only meant for the masses while our political leaders send their children overseas. Can we believe they have faith in our own educational facilities and that they are sincere in wanting the best for us?

The government should be aware of the fact that the number of Chinese schools has not increased over the past 30 years despite the need for them due to increased demand from both Chinese and non-Chinese students.

In Malaysia, unfairness is institutionalised. For example, it is alright for certain schools or universities like the Universiti Institut Teknologi Mara (UiTM) to bar non-bumiputeras. Yet I can imagine the ruckus if Chinese schools were to refuse bumiputera students.

Malaysia would be a much better place if there were more leeway for a 'give and take' attitude. It should be borne in mind that not all Chinese wish to send their children to Chinese schools, only a minority of them want to. So why the restriction on more Chinese schools?