Chinese and Tamil language schools will not be forced to participate in the Vision School project which the government wants to introduce, Education Minister Musa Mohamad said today.

Speaking on the campaign trail for the Lunas by-election in Kedah, Musa gave his assurance that the Board of Governors of Chinese schools will be consulted first, and if they do not agree to the concept, their schools will not be touched.

He said his ministry does not have the power to convert national-type primary schools into Vision Schools.

"We will have to seek the approval of their Board of Governors first," he said when addressing about 200 people at the Hwa Min Chinese school. The minister was campaigning in support of the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate, S Anthonysamy.

Musa also presented cheques to six Tamil and Chinese schools to help meet their maintenance costs.

Present was MIC president and Works Minister S Samy Vellu who said that Tamil schools too, would not be forced to join the Vision School project.

'Tamil schools consulted'

He said the money disbursed to the six schools today was not being given in conjunction with the by-election but rather because the payments had just been approved.

When asked on complaints from certain quarters that Tamil schools had not been consulted on the Vision School matter, Samy Vellu replied, "I have consulted everybody myself."

Malaysiakini had reported C Manyam, editor of Semparthi , a Tamil monthly magazine, as saying that it was unsatisfactory of the education minister not to invite any education groups or representatives from the Tamil community to take part in the ministry's dialogues regarding the Vision School. ([#1]Tamil schools join Vision School fray[/#], Nov 18).

Also present at the function in Lunas today were Information Minister Khalil Yaakob and Health Minister Chua Jui Meng.

Polling will take place on Nov 29 with Anthonysamy facing Keadilan's Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and independent N Letchumanan.

The seat fell vacant following the murder of the incumbent from BN, Dr Joe Fernandez, on Nov 4.