Dong Zong to meet Muhyiddin over deregistration by Johor ROS
Chinese educationist group Dong Zong will meet Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin tomorrow, on its appeal against the Registrar of Societies' decision to deregister its chapter in Johor.
This came after the group was unable to provide any explanation to ROS over repeated changes to its constitution...
Chinese educationist group Dong Zong will meet Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin tomorrow, on its appeal against the Registrar of Societies' decision to deregister its chapter in Johor.
This came after the group was unable to provide any explanation to ROS over repeated changes to its constitution.
The United Chinese School Committees' Association was served with a letter of deregistration by Johor ROS on Aug 8.
Muhyiddin said the group's problem was pertaining to the management of several of its associations, which did not obey the rules set by the ROS.
"They will meet me tomorrow and I will listen to what they have to say about the issue.
"I was given the report and ROS will also be present. We'll see what we can do and amend whatever that could be amended," Muhyiddin (below) e told reporters in Putrajaya.
Yesterday, Sinar Harian quoted Dong Zong central committee member Low Chee Chong as saying that ROS had served a show-cause notice to the association in January as the involvement of teachers in the association is against the Association Act 1966.
Low explained that Johor Dong Zong was incepted in 1955, a year before the establishment of the Association Act.
"There has been no problem in recent years. The ROS officer had asked Johor Dong Zong to register the association under the Education Ministry. In March, we wrote the letter to the (education) ministry, which replied that the matter was not related to them, and asked us to refer back to ROS," he said.
It was deregistered on Aug 8 after Johor ROS allegedly stated that it did not receive any explanation in regard to changes of the association's institution and allowed it to appeal within 30 days.
Dong Zong was in the spotlight after it protested against the introduction of khat in vernacular schools.
It had launched a petition against the teaching of the Jawi calligraphy to Standard Four pupils, despite the Education Ministry’s decision to make the lesson optional and halve the number of pages to be studied.
It had claimed that the khat lesson is a form of Islamisation.
Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had labelled Dong Zong "racist", which the group denied.
Yesterday, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Huzir Mohamed said that investigation papers in regard to the "racist" remark case will be referred to the Attorney-General's Chambers soon.
Police have recorded statements from Dong Zong chairperson Tan Tai Kim and secretary-general Ng Chai Heng, as well as from Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching.
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