PMs extremist remarks unjustified: educationists

comments     Leong Kar Yen     Published     Updated

Chinese educationists today criticised Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's statement that groups against the vision school concept were extremists, adding that he should stop making unjustified remarks.

New Era College principal Dr Kua Kia Soong said the Chinese community is not against harmony and unity.

He added that the Chinese education system has done much for Malaysian human resources and development that it should be praised.

"Mahathir should be praising this and not hurling unjustified statements," he said.

However, Kua said the Chinese community has always remained suspicious of the agenda behind the vision school concept as the government had never denied outright intentions to make schools mono-lingual.

New Era College was set up by Chinese educationist movement, Dong Jiao Zong, which has been one of the vocal opponents of the vision school concept.

Under the concept, vernacular schools will be house in one compound and its detractors fear that this would threaten mother tongue education.

In his speech at MCA's 49th annual general assembly this morning, Mahathir said the government has plans to breach the communication gap between national and national-type schools.

"Unfortunately, our good intention for the future of Malaysia has been labelled by the extremist groups as an effort to get rid of Chinese schools," he said.

The premier also said the rise of Malay extremism is the result of extremism displayed by certain quarters within the Chinese community.

He also expressed concern that the extremist attitude of a Chinese group which could cause Malays to support Malay extremists and as a result seen an increase of extremist Malays parties.

"Extremism breeds extremism and when a race has extremists who don't respect the feeling of other races, the other races would also have their own extremist groups," he said.

Nothing new

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Chinese Organisations Elections Appeals Committee or Suqiu said the premier's remarks was nothing new.

"He always refers to those fighting for their rights as extremists and he has even criticised several non-governmental organisations as being extremists," said Suqiu's executive secretary Ser Choon Ing when contacted .

In 2000, Mahathir had likened Suqui to the communists over the 17-point appeal which the organisation had submitted to the premier prior to the 1999 general election.

DAP vice-chairperson Dr Tan Seng Giaw said this has been Mahathir's stand for years but added that the premier should look at the reasons behind racial polarisation in local university campuses before accusing anyone of extremism.

"He has got to change the way he thinks about getting around the issue of racial polarisation.

"He should look at what is happening at our local universities as well as students who are sent abroad, not mixing with other Malaysian students and come back with a racialistic mindset," he said when contacted.

The opposition politician also urged the government to put in black and white that it would not threaten the position of vernacular schools in Malaysia.



Malaysiakini
news and views that matter


Sign In