Prepare to suffer same fate as Suqiu, Chinese education movement told
Umno Youth today warned the Chinese education movement Dong Jiao Zong that they would face similar action to that of lobby group Suqiu if it persisted in campaigning for the maintenance of Chinese schools in Malaysia.
Speaking when proposing the motion on education at the Umno annual general assembly today, Dr Zamri Abdul Kadir blamed the influential body for putting too much emphasis on Chinese education that "they forget that they are also Malaysians".
"This sentiment is very dangerous. It can affect the national integration, and we will fight anyone who act as stumbling block towards national integration," said Zamri, who is from Umno's Teluk Intan division in Perak.
He also warned Chinese newspapers against playing up the education issue.
Zamri said as an independent country which is facing globalisation, there is no need for every ethnic group in Malaysia to have schools in their mother-tongue language.
He went on to challenge other races in Malaysia, namely the Chinese and Indian Malaysians, to accept the vision school concept.
The vision school concept was introduced by the government to place three primary schools of different teaching mediums — Malay, Mandarin and Tamil — in the same compound with the expressed aim of promoting integration and unity among students of various races.
However, Dong Jiao Zong said that the government had introduced the project so that it can implement a new system of school administration and structure to gradually achieve its 'ulterior motive' of a monolingual education policy.
Umno demonstration
In 2000, Umno Youth showed their disdain at the Malaysian Chinese Organisation Election Appeals Committee, or Suqiu, for its 17-point demands which allegedly include the calling for the abolishment of bumiputra rights.
A group of Umno Youth, led by its deputy chief Aziz Sheikh Fadzir, demonstrated outside the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall — where Suqiu was housed — and demanded the lobby group to retract its demands.
Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, who is also Umno Youth exco member, was reportedly to have said that the Malays were willing to "bathe in blood" to defend their privileges.
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