Vocal Chinese education movement not extremist: Chor
The government does not consider Chinese education movement Dong Jiao Zong 'extremist' despite its vocal opposition to the language switch policy, said Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Hueng (
photo
) today.
He said the Home Ministry divides extremists into two categories religious and racial. The education movement does not fall under any of the two.
"They are not considered extremist. We (the ministry) do not think so...usually those who deliver their opinions in a non-extreme way, we accept them," he added when met at the Parliament lobby.
Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had branded the movement "extremist" when it opposed Umno's proposal that Science and Mathematics be taught in English for all schools.
The movement wanted the mother tongue to be retained as the medium of instruction for the two subjects in Chinese schools.
The premier whose initial idea to revive English-medium schools to arrest the decline of students' proficiency in the language was shot down by the Umno supreme council had also warned the movement not to "play with fire".
Commenting on this, Chor said: "The prime minister felt that if they were to go over the limit, then that would result in them becoming extremists".
Dong Jiao Zong is the collective name for the United Chinese School Committees Association (Dong Zong) and United Chinese School Teachers Association (Jiao Zong).
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