Chinese education group Dong Jiao Zong (DJZ) and PAS Youth have agreed that mother tongue education and the Sekolah Agama Rakyat (SAR) should be retained.

The duo reached this consensus following a meeting at the education group's headquarters in Kajang, Selangor, yesterday.

The government last year retracted its funding for SAR after it accused the religious schools, which are mostly operated by PAS, of sowing anti-government sentiments into its students.

Also included in their hour-long discussion was the Vision School concept, which both DJZ and PAS Youth rejected.

Under this concept, national and vernacular schools are placed in one compound to promote integration between the students.

Not 'extremist'

"Dong Jiao Zong welcomes all political parties to hold dialogues and discussions on educational problems," said its chief executive officer Bock Tai Hee when met after the meeting.

He added that by having such discussions, the education group could also explain to the Malay community its rationale for defending Chinese education rights in this country.

This, he added, would help dispel the perception that DJZ is an 'extremist' or 'chauvinist' as alleged by certain government leaders.

"We also hope that PAS can transmit this message to their community," he said.

Last year, the education group came under a scathing attack from former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad for their opposition to the proposal to teach Science and Mathematics in English.

Dong Jiao Zong comprises the United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia and the United Chinese School Teachers Association of Malaysia.

Nation's problem

Meanwhile, stressing on the importance of mother tongue education, Bock said: "Language is a mirror for races. It also a means to achieve a more satisfactory intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual existence. We have to preserve our roots."

Echoing this, PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub stressed that mother tongue education is not the problem of a particular race but the whole nation.

"We are not doing this for political mileage. It is about human rights," he said when met later.

On their disagreement to the Vision School, the opposition leader said racial unity could be achieved in the absence of such a school as well.