The Malaysian Parents (Chinese Primary Schools) Association today filed a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) against several Chinese primary school headmasters.

Six representatives from the association filed the report with the ACA federal headquarters in Putrajaya. They also submitted two files of 'relevant evidence'.

Speaking at a press conference earlier, the association's pro-tem chairperson Wong Foh Sang said they had collected the evidence over a period of two months.

However, he refused to reveal how many schools or headmasters were involved.

Wong's deputy Teh Hon Seng said the information collected concerned schools from all over the country.

Serious issue

According to him, corruption has become a serious issue in Chinese primary schools and this erodes the foundation of Chinese-medium education.

"We believe the finances involved in Chinese primary schools amount to RM500 million (annually). This include money for books, stationery, tuition, computer classes and extra curricular activities," he said.

Over RM100 million is being siphoned from the 1,288 Chinese primary schools nationwide, he added.

He also urged the public to report any cases of corruption involving headmasters of Chinese primary schools and added that the association would back them.

Contacted later, Wong said ACA officials had promised to look into the matter.

"They (ACA) will assign offcers who know Mandarin to investigate this issue. We are willing to cooperate, including help contact the relevant individuals who gave us the information," he added.

Also present at the headquarters was SRJK(C) Chin Woo school committee chairperson Ong Koh Hou, who had earlier offered a reward of RM500,000 for evidence on corrupt headmasters.