Amid khat controversy, Dr M says 'racist' Dong Zong opposes everything

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has branded Dong Zong “racist” after it claimed the government’s move to introduce khat in schools was a form of “Islamisation”.

The Chinese educationist group recently launched a petition against the teaching of Jawi calligraphy to Standard Four pupils despite the Education Ministry’s decision to making the lesson optional and halving the number of pages.

Speaking to the media at an event in Langkawi today Mahathir remarked that Dong Zong had long been opposed to the government’s efforts to promote unity.

“Dong Zong ini rasis (Dong Zong is racist).

“In the past, we created a school called 'Sekolah Wawasan' comprising Chinese, Tamil and national schools all in one campus.

“They (Dong Zong) did not want that because they were apparently scared that their children would mix with Malay children.

“They do not like Malay people,” he said, a recording of which was obtained by Malaysiakini.

“They are against everything. They have never agreed to anything,” Mahathir added.

Why didn’t they complain to BN?

Earlier this month, the Education Ministry announced that six pages of khat (Jawi calligraphy) would be taught to Standard Four pupils beginning next year.

Dong Zong, along with other Chinese and Tamil educationist groups, then urged the government to postpone the initiative so that further discussions could be held.

Following discussions with the ministry and a revision of the lessons, the groups maintained their opposition to the move.

Today, Mahathir questioned why Dong Zong had not protested the introduction of khat when the former BN government mooted it.

“Why did Dong Zong not complain then and is only complaining now?

“Now we have freedom. If they had complained in the past, they would have been put in jail. So now they complain lah,” he said.

Malaysiakini is contacting Dong Zong for comment.

According to the Education Ministry, BN had decided in 2014 to introduce khat into primary schools.

Mahathir said Pakatan Harapan was unlike BN.

“I think that the previous government approved the move to try and win over the Malays, but they did not do anything about it.

“When they spoke to the Chinese, they would say things that the Chinese liked (to hear). When they spoke to the Malays, they would say things that the Malays liked to hear.

“That was their kind of politics, We do not talk like that,” he said.

Cabinet consulted

Asked if the khat decision had gone through the Cabinet, Mahathir said it had, just like other government decisions.

“Everything, almost everything, goes through the cabinet, but Cabinet affairs and discussions are not to be revealed to the public.

“We discuss and if we find anything that we are not satisfied with, we will bring it up in the Cabinet.

“But if we have to bring up every single word to the Cabinet, susah lah (that will be difficult),” he said.

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