Dong Zong shrugs off MPM outrage

It doesn’t expect trouble at Sunday’s rally.

Leven Woon, FMT

Dong Zong (United Chinese Schools Committees Association) has chosen to disregard expressions of outrage over its plan to hold a rally this Sunday, saying it sees no reason to beef up security for the event.

“Every organisation has the right to adopt its views on certain issues,” said Dong Zong’s deputy president, Chow Siew Hon, in response to yesterday’s statement from the Malay Consultative Council (MPM), which denounced the upcoming rally as an “irresponsible act”.

“We believe the Malays are generally a peace loving group,” Chow added. “They might have emotions over certain issues, but we don’t expect anything drastic.”

MPM, which claims to be an umbrella group for Malay NGOs, is planning an education convention as a counter measure to the Dong Zong protest against the National Education Blueprint.

A spokesman for the Malay group, Kamaruddin Kachar, said yesterday that Dong Zong’s demands went against the Razak Education Report of 1956 as well as the Education Act.

He said his group would invite the Prime Minister to its planned convention.

Dong Zong opposes the National Education Blueprint as being unfavourable to Chinese education.

Chow said PAS, PKR, DAP and the Sabah Progressive Party had agreed to send representatives to Sunday’s rally.

“We expect at least the vice chairmen to turn up,” he said.