Kit Siang: 'No basis' to fear chaos if Chinese congress not anti-Malay

DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang has downplayed concerns that the Chinese Organisations Congress organised by Chinese educationist group Dong Zong and Jiao Zong (Dong Jiao Zong) will lead to chaos.

The Iskandar Puteri MP said this is providing that there are no "anti-Malay" or "anti-constitution" elements at the upcoming congress on Dec 28.

"There is no basis for the fear that the Chinese Organisations Congress organised by Dong Jiao Zong will lead to chaos if it is not anti-Malay or anti-Constitution," Lim said in a statement today.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday warned that the Chinese Organisations Congress would lead to chaos as there are Malay groups who will react in a "very Malay way" when such a congress is organised.

Lim, who noted the differences of opinions on whether the optional introduction of three pages of Jawi lessons for Standard Four pupils would result in changes to Chinese and Tamil schools, said most parties are in agreement that the character of vernacular schools should be preserved.

"It is important that the differences of opinion in our society be resolved peacefully and amicably within the existing constitutional and government conditions and context.

"Efforts should (also) be made to avoid any further interracial and interreligious polarisation in plural Malaysia, made easy by the rampage of fake news and hate speech which threatens the fabric of Malaysian society," said the Iskandar Puteri MP.

At the height of the Jawi controversy, Lim had cautioned Malaysians against falling into a trap set by "conspirators" who sought to pit race against race as well as religion against religion.

Dong Jiao Zong's Chinese Organisations Congress is planned to protest the latest teaching guidelines by the Education Ministry for Jawi script lessons.

The aim of the congress is to convince the government to cancel the lessons in vernacular schools.

The ministry's new guidelines allow parents to decide if such lessons can be introduced in schools. The lessons will proceed if more than half of all parents agree to it.

Dong Jiao Zong disagrees with this condition on grounds that it will cause disagreements and cause disharmony between parents of different ethnicities who send their children to vernacular schools especially the Chinese language ones.

It insists that the schools' boards of governours ought to have a say in the decision to implement Jawi script lessons which are slated to begin next year for Standard Four pupils.

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