Ridhuan Tee: Chinese, don’t be so demanding or more Perkasa and Isma will rise

(Malay Mail Online) – Malaysia’s ethnic Chinese should stop pressing the government for more things or more Malay-Muslim rights groups like Perkasa and Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) will rise up, controversial columnist Ridhuan Tee Abdullah warned today.

The Chinese-Muslim writer waded into the long-simmering debate over vernacular schools in his column in Malay daily Sinar Harian today, insisting on a minimum of two hours a day for Bahasa Malaysia lessons and for history to be taught in the national language and not in the mother-tongue languages.

“I really hope that the Chinese community in Malaysia will not be too demanding or pressure the government too much. If not, there will definitely be more Perkasa and Isma,” Tee wrote.

He added that while MCA has managed to retain the Chinese vernacular school system, the Barisan Nasional (BN) party has failed to enable the Chinese to have the “anak bangsa Malaysia” identity.

“Today, the Indians seem to be more successful in mastering the national language compared to the Chinese,” Tee claimed.

“This is what MCA should be thinking about as the Malays are more comfortable being friends with the Indians because they share one language and understand each other,” he added.

Malaysia’s national schools provide for vernacular education in Mandarin and Tamil to cater to the ethnic Chinese and Indian population.

However, the issue has reared its head again in recent days after a junior Umno politician suggested the government do away with the vernacular school system.