In a rare move by any politician, former MCA deputy president Lee Siok Yew today apologised to the Chinese community for his party's support of the government's move in the 1960s to convert Chinese Secondary Schools to National Type Schools resulting in the switch of medium of instruction to Bahasa Malaysia.

"In 1966, I was misled on the 'converted' secondary school issue," Lee recalled of the tenure he had served as a deputy education minister, from 1964-1969, and hence contributed to the government's education policy.

"I apologise to the boards of directors and graduates of these 'converted' secondary schools," he told the audience who attended his talk on "Examining the Vision School from the converted secondary school perspective," organised by the Dong Jiao Zong last night at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Kuala Lumpur.

Lee claimed he was "misconceived", resulting in his misleading the Chinese community. However, in his speech, Lee did not explain how he was misled by the government then.

"I hate those who had cheated me, now I have to bear the responsibility," he said.

"This is my burden. I am now 77 years old, but I want to come forward to join all of you.

"The young people lead, I will take my walking stick and follow you in opposing the Vision School project," he added.

"The British and Malays were using the Chinese to upgrade the status of their community, but the Chinese never received fair treatment," he commented.

Making money

Lee recalled in 1972, the year he was moved to the Health Ministry, then newly-appointed Education Minister Hussein Onn drafted an Education Bill in Bahasa Melayu, proposing that Bahasa Melayu be the medium of instruction of primary schools, secondary schools and the universities and that no other languages be used.

"I carefully read every document sent to me, because after the Bill was passed, it would become policy. The Parliament was useless and the parliamentarians acted like a rubber-stamp.

"They did not understand the policy, they only were looking for ways of making money," he said.

Lee stated that he called the then MCA president Tan Siew Sin.

"His Bahasa is pasar type, but I insisted that he read the Bill.

"Tan said he did not really understand the Bill that was written in Bahasa, and the Cabinet document was confidential and should not be read by the secretary.

"But I said, 'you have to understand, it is only two of us.'

"I persuaded him by citing the Federal Constitution and MCA constitution, urging him to reject the Bill. If we could not explain to the Chinese, then we have to resign."

"I represented MCA, and I told Umno that involvement of MCA in the Cabinet did not carry any personal interest, absolutely no interest."

Lee observed it was different, Umno can decide whether to accept MCA or not, since they have many representatives.

"But if the platform of MCA falls, MCA has to withdraw from the government and Umno would have to face the consequences," Lee said.

Use of mother tongue guaranteed

He emphasised in the era of the Tunku Abdul Rahman, if one minister was opposed to a proposal, it would not be passed through.

The Bill mentioned by Lee finally became the 1972 Education Amendment Act, which proposed that the director boards of fully-assisted schools should be abolished.

The former deputy MCA chief stressed that the Constitution in Section 152 affirms that Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-language country, and everyone is free to use their mother tongue.

"No government can oppress the language of a citizen. I want to persuade those who want to abandon their mother tongue to review themselves," Lee advised.

"No matter how highly regarded they are, Dato' or Tan Sri, no one can betray their mother tongue, we do not grant them the power to sell out our mother tongue!" he stressed.

"We are not the overseas Chinese of Indonesia or Thailand, we are the partner who shares the same status, which had struggled hand in hand with Umno for Merdeka (Independence) for this country," he said.

"I hope the ruling people won't mislead us, and we are not going to be misled again," he said, reiterating that the Vision School project could yet be another trap to mislead the community.