(Petaling Jaya, Thursday): There was an unstated BN policy on mother-tongue education since the eighties, i.e. no more building of new Chinese and Tamil primary schools.

This is a fact MCA, Gerakan and SUPP ministers would never dare to admit openly because they have agreed to it more than two decades ago.

New Chinese or Tamil schools could only be built when the BN government was under pressure, usually used as sugar-coated election gimmicks for winning votes in general elections or by-elections.

One such good example was SJKT Lunas, Kedah. It was built to garner Indian votes for the Lunas by-election. Nevertheless, BN has lost the seat simply because it was too late and too little to win the hearts of the local Indian community at that time.  

The other example was SJKC Pui Chai II in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya. It was built to prevent Chinese votes from switching to DAP in the 2004 general election.

SJKC Kulai II, one of the so-called two new schools announced by Hisham yesterday, was in fact not a new school. It has gotten an approval seven years ago to be relocated as one of the election pledges.

It was not built until today because there was no more money under the 8th Malaysia Plan (according to Lim See Ching of MCA). And Hisham has shamelessly called it a new school!

And I suspect the so-called SJKC Tun Tan Siew Sin in Putra Heights was originally planned as a Vision School somewhere in Johor (which was called off and announced by Ling Liong Sik prior to the last general election).

Putra Heights is largely a new township still under construction. The demand for a SJKC would only come much later.

If the BN Government is really sincere and honest about promoting mother-tongue education, Hisham and company should be building new Chinese/ Tamil schools in matured townships like Wangsa Maju in Federal Territory and Bandar Sg Long and Bandar Mahkota Cheras in Selangor.

So, Noh Omar was correct when he answered M. Kula of DAP (MP of Ipoh Barat) that none of the 180 schools planned under the 9MP were Chinese or Tamil ones.

Hishammuddin Hussein's response after the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday was nothing but lies.

Only people like Ong Ka Ting would praise Hisham for such a sham. How could he so happy about the so-called two (not 20 or 200) 'new schools" which were not "new" after all?

What is that compared to 180 new schools under the 9MP?

What is that compared to 134 Chinese schools that we need (according to DongJiaoZong's proposal)?

But that's the mentality of a 'marginalized' Minister as such. So sad.

(28/09/2006)