The DAP is urging the government to do away with outdated rules and regulations that are proving to be a hindrance to Prime Minister Najib Razak's 1Malaysia concept by throwing up barriers to the construction of vernacular schools, among others.

NONE Party national assistant treasurer Nga Kor Ming ( right ) said that the Education Ministry had crafted guidelines that all the government reserve land can only be used to build national type schools, (sekolah kebangsaan), keeping out SJK (C ) and SJK (T) schools.

"The Ministry has even imposed the ridiculous guideline that parties wishing to build new government aided schools like SJK (C) or SJK(T), the board of the school shall raise at least 80% of the building fund before applying for a permit to build new school," the party state secretary said.

He claimed that as a result, the Chinese community had been forced to raise at least RM100 million annually to support 650,000 pupils out of which 85,000 are Malays, studying at the 1,284 SJK Chinese primary schools nationwide.

"Asking the citizens to raise funds on their own to build schools has made a mockery of Najib's 1 Malaysia concept," the Taiping MP said in a media statement.

He reminded the government it was incumbent upon it to provide schools or basic education to all Malaysians regardless of colour or creed.

Citing the consolidation of sekolah kebangsaan as the reason, the Mmnistry had also imposed a no transfer rule for children to switch from SK to SJK (C) or SJK (T) but not vice versa , even if this went against the wishes of the parents or the pupils.