Prime Minister must uphold our Constitution when it comes to public education
Vernacular schools could be privatised to operate independently of the Government, such as this Chinese independent high school
Tanjak
Press Statement by the Young Professionals
The Young Professionals (YP) are extremely concerned by reports that the Prime Minister has pledged to help build more Chinese vernacular schools for the Chinese community, as well as help relocate existing ones, at the 63rdMCA Annual General Meeting (AGM) recently (PM pledges more Chinese schools, says don’t forget come polls, MalaysiaKini, November 13, 2016).
Such a move by our PM smacks of borrowing from the populist approach of Donald Trump in the recently concluded US Presidential Elections in trying to obtain votes from the Chinese community, and is, to borrow a term widely used against supporters of the now President-elect, deplorable. The PM’s promise is deplorable by any standard because the very presence of vernacular schools in our education system is unconstitutional. YP urges its immediate rescission.
Vernacular schools, such as this one, are not provided for under the Constitution
There is no issue with the Prime Minister or any other Malaysian politician promising electoral goodies in return for votes. Indeed, such is the norm in any democracy such as ours. But as citizens of this nation we are all, regardless of racial or ethnic origin, bound by the Federal Constitution as our apex law. Article 152 of the document provides that Malay is our national language, regardless of the native languages of other ethnic communities in Malaysia.
