Chinese NGOs want fair polls, end to discrimination
They are calling for an end to religious discrimination, free and fair elections, an end to the New Economic Policy (NEP) and quotas favouring the Bumiputras and equivalent treatment for mother tongue education.
K Pragalath, FMT
A group of three Chinese NGOs have put forth four demands and want the Kajang by-election candidates to endorse them. The by-election is on March 23.
The three NGOs are Sahabat Rakyat Working Committee, Melaka Chinese Assembly Hall’s youth division and the youth wing of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.
A group of 15 individuals also have endorsed the demands.
They are calling for an end to religious discrimination, free and fair elections, an end to the New Economic Policy (NEP) and quotas favouring the Bumiputras and equivalent treatment for mother tongue education.
“We have seen how the Selangor Islamic Religious Department manipulated the the Allah name in the Bible issue.
“Hence we are calling upon the candidates to support moves to amend the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988 that was suggested by three DAP lawmakers in January,” said Sahabat Raya working committee spokesperson, Choo Shin Chei.
The NGOs are also calling for the preservation of all faiths and religions practiced by the minorities and want equal treatment to be given to all places of worship.
On the call for free and fair election, they are supporting election watchdog, Bersih’s demands.
Speaking about their third demand, Choo said that the implementation of the NEP and quotas for Bumiputera have only served to enrich the elite capitalist Malays.
On calls for mother tongue education, the group are supporting demands by Chinese educationist group Dong Zong.
Dong Zong wants all parties to give the Unified Education Certificate (UEC) its due recognition, land for the construction of additional building for Yu Hua secondary school in Kajang and resolve land issues that is confronted by New Era College in Sepang for the past 14 years.
