Pang's vernacular education becomes PAS latest target

KKB BY-ELECTION | Pakatan Harapan candidate Pang Sock Tao's vernacular school background appears to be the latest target by Perikatan Nasional, a campaign tactic that has been dubbed as "sick and low" by a political analyst.

This comes after PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari singled out the fact that Pang (above) received her primary and secondary education at Chinese vernacular schools in his latest statement against the DAP candidate for Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election.

"I apologise for raising the issue of Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election candidate's UPSR and SPM results. This has indirectly revealed that the candidate received (her) education at vernacular schools.

"With this apology, I hope this issue will continue until the polling day," said Fadhli in a sarcastic statement on Facebook this afternoon.

The Pasir Mas MP's Facebook post came hours after Pang revealed her straight A’s SPM and UPSR results after Fadhli had challenged her to reveal her school background.

In an earlier Facebook post, Fadhli also highlighted information he claimed to have received from "several sources" that Pang had gotten her education at vernacular schools and called for voters to "choose wisely".

Kuala Kubu Baharu is a mixed state constituency comprising 49.3 percent Malay voters, 30.6 percent Chinese, 17.9 percent Indians, and 2.1 percent others.

It was understood that Fadhli aimed to highlight Pang's educational background to the Malay voters in an attempt to discourage them from supporting Harapan.

Trump tactic

A researcher who specialises in politics and urban sociology believed that the PAS leader's tactic was no different from former US president Donald Trump's "birther politics".

Aziff Azuddin in a comment on social media said Fadhli's challenge to Pang was only aimed at highlighting whether she had taken the Unified Examination Certificate education route and if she went to a Chinese vernacular school.

"DAP took the bait, and now PAS has proven at least one thing.

"This is no different from Trump's birther politics. Now, Malaysianness or loyalty is questioned based on educational background.

"What's next? Should candidates produce birth certificates? Just when I thought we can't go lower," he said in an Instagram Story.

Aziff also said such political discourse was "something very sick and low".

Meanwhile, several DAP leaders have come to Pang's defence.

Former Dusun Tua state assemblyperson Edry Faizal Eddy Yusof said he had never faced any trouble communicating with his racially mixed constituents despite having received his education at a vernacular school.

"As someone who went to SRJK and SMJK, I had never faced any difficulty to serve my constituents who came from multiracial backgrounds," he said on X, in response to a PN-linked political activist who questioned Pang's capability.

DAP publicity secretary Teo Nie Ching, who is also deputy communications minister, regarded Fadhli's attack as just a way to divert attention after Pang answered his challenge.

In a statement, Teo, who also used to be a deputy education minister, urged the PAS leader to respect parents' right to choose the school system for their offspring.

She claimed that some PAS leaders had also sent their children to study at Chinese vernacular schools along with many other Malay parents.

"It is parents' right to choose whichever school they want to send their children to.

"I am confident that every parent wants the best for their kids, especially when it comes to education. Wherever their children go to study, parents would wish the best for them.

"So I hope that YB (Fadhli) can respect parents' choice. For this by-election, I also hope that all candidates and leaders regardless of party will engage in a healthy campaign and be a good example for the people," she said.

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