— Tih Seong Pin
The Malaysian Insider
May 14, 2013
MAY 14 — The call by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) pro-chancellor Tan Sri Dr Abdul Rahman Arshad for the abolition of Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools in favour of a single stream school which uses Malay-language as a medium is unconstitutional,backward,impractical,irresponsible and unMalaysian.
To abolish Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools in the country means to deny the roles and contributions played by both major communities since Merdeka in 1957 and this does not make sense!
The UiTM pro-chancellor must not forget it was the joint noble aspirations, efforts and unity of the nation’s 3 major races that won Malaysia’s Merdeka and freed us from the British rule thta made us the master of our destiny!
Malaysia belongs the the people of all races and all our cultural,social ,economic and political rights are guaranteed in the highest laws of the land -the Federal Constitution.
For so long, Chinese vernacular schools have played a tremendous role in developing the nation-economically,culturally and politically fostering national unity by producing many talented and -high-value individuals,among them with people like Pua Khein Seng-who invented the first single chip USB flash controller in the world called”pendrive”in 2001 and Datok Lee Chong Wei,our national badminton star who has brought international honours to our motherland just to name a few.
Abdul Rahman Arshad also commented countries such as Indonesia,Philippines and Thailand had already implemented a single-language policy in the education system to better foster national unity to this the people must understand Malaysia’s historic and the national condition is different from those countries as the founding fathers of this great country were made up from the late Tunku Abdul Rahman,Tun Tan Cheng Lock and Tun V.Sambanthan thus our greatest strenght and assets-unity in diversity!
Therefore, it is unfair and illogical to compare Malaysia with those countries mentioned.
And also,it is important to point out today there are more than 80000 thousands of non-Chinese students studying in Chinese vernacular schools nationwide and the number keeps increasing clearly showing the value of Chinese vernacular schools and the meanings and value of freedom of choice by parents.This clearly proven the point the existence of vernacular schools is not a barrier towards intergration as claimed by Abdul Rahman Arshad.
Currently,there are a few types of schools existing in the country namely the National schools,Chinese vernacular schools,Tamil vernacular schools,Chinese independent schools,religious schools,missionary schools and private schools all playing a very vital and support role in nation-building.
As a matter of fact these schools have been existence long before Merdeka are multi-racial Malaysia’s rich and great heritage and legacy and all responsible,peace-loving and forward-looking Malaysians must cherish,protect and nurture.
For centuries,Malaysians of different background have proven to the world we can live ,and work together for the interest and well-being of everyone.Malaysia is what it is today due to the patriotism shown by all races and all must be treated fairly and justly according to our laws and the unique Malaysian spirit.
Multi-racial,multi-cultural and multi-religious Malaysia will and can only go for if there is mutual respect,understanding and acceptance by all races with our leaders of all sectors showing the “Malaysian Way”.
In this plural society of ours,it is our duty and responsiblity to love our motherland and protect and free it from all forms of racism,fanaticism and extremism and make Malaysia a truly great,united and prosperous nation in the eye of the world.
#1 by sheriff singh on Wednesday, 15 May 2013 - 10:17 am
In this age of IT and www and advances made in the medical field, it is sad that there are still people suffering from short-sightedness and tunnel visions or still have their blinkers on. They are anachronisms, dinosaurs.
#2 by digard on Wednesday, 15 May 2013 - 4:36 pm
Nobody will actually contradict the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) pro-chancellor Tan Sri Dr Abdul Rahman Arshad.
If only he had addded: “Once the National Schools are well-organized, run by head-people who are just the most competent [not along religious lines and party lines]; all offering qualified tuition on all four (!) major languages spoken in Malaysia: Malay, Chinese, Indian, English. Additionally, these schools will provide a balanced introduction into the major religions in this country, as well as the virtues of atheism / agnosticism.”
#3 by on cheng on Wednesday, 15 May 2013 - 8:34 pm
This tan sri dr abdul… should be ashamed that, we have university like MARA cater solely for one race, and he had the cheek to complained about vernacular schools ?
Is the establishment of UITM (with dozens of campuses) unconstitutional ??
#4 by on cheng on Wednesday, 15 May 2013 - 8:35 pm
Why talk and care so much on primary schools, how about universities n colleges with MARA this MARA that ??
#5 by on cheng on Wednesday, 15 May 2013 - 8:36 pm
what is the use of having a single stream schools up to secondary level, and only to divide the citizens at tertiary level??
#6 by good coolie on Wednesday, 15 May 2013 - 8:37 pm
Knowledge of languages is tied to knowledge of cultures. Remember the days of “classical learning” with a group well-versed in Latin and Greek? Remember how people here had very good command of English. Well, we lost this valuable skill and knowledge and our students are the worse for that.
Don’t ever think of retarding the progress of Chinese, even Chinese dialects. We are the richer for Chinese. And Tamil – how proud we are of our knowledge of Tamil. So many Indians can speak and write other Indian languages like Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi. We Malaysians are cosmopolitan, more so with the addition of many East Malaysian languages and dialects.
As for unity, let this be drummed into the heads of obtuse politicians and academicians: “E Pluribus Unum”.
#7 by jus legitimum on Wednesday, 15 May 2013 - 10:31 pm
This Abdul Rahman Arshad started as a teacher,then a headmaster,then a Chief Education Officer of Kelantan.Soon later he replaced Murad to become the Director General of Education in the early 80s.He is a disgrace to the education profession and also a disgrace to tertiary education for being abominably ignorant of the historical and cultural backgrounds that foster the existence of vernacular primary schools.He is narrow minded and only god knows how he could beome the pro chancellor of a university.Anyway that university is mono ethnic in its students intake and that may cast some light on his ill intent to abolish mother tongue education.