Perak DAP Economic Development Bureau Chief Chong Zhemin has accused Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin of lying regarding the marginalising of schools in financial allocations.

“Muhyiddin lied through his teeth when he said the government has never marginalized any school during the winding up debate on the Supply Bill 2015 for the Education Ministry in the Dewan Rakyat.”

Muhyiddin, who is also the education minister, said yesterday that the government had never marginalised any school under its jurisdiction during a debate on the Supply Bill 2015 at the Dewan Rakyat.

He had said that the approved annual allocations had been distributed equally in accordance with requirements to all schools without heed for the type of school or location.

Chong ( left ) added that it is “open knowledge” that the government has been systematically marginalising Chinese and Tamil primary schools, which has been decreasing since the country’s independence.

“Instead of allowing new Chinese and Tamil schools to be built according to needs, Putrajaya came out with a “one of a kind” solution which can only be found in Malaysia – that a school needs to be shut down before another school is to be built,” Chong said in a statement today.

Chong also believed that the education allocation in Chinese and Tamil schools should be justified based on number of students, not by number of schools available.

“The number of students should be a more appropriate yardstick to measure the fairness of allocation.”

“There are 650,000 Chinese Primary school students and 97,000 Tamil Primary school students which comprised of 21.2% and 3.16% respectively of the total students population,” Chong added.

The DAP leader called on the government to allocate funds without breaking down the school types and ensure a fair education allocation to all.

“Is Muhyiddin prepared to put money where his mouth is? Or is Muhyiddin just paying lip service when he said the government has never marginalized any school?”