TAR College (TARC) not recognized by PSD – MCA Youth should come clear in accepting the debate invitation from DAPSY and clarify the issue, once and for all

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Media Statement
by Lau Weng San  
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(Petaling Jaya, Friday) : DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) had one four days ago issued an official invitation letter to MCA Youth Chief YB Datuk Liow Tiong Lai to an open debate to debate on the contribution of the DAP towards nation-building. 

What is more disappointing is that as the chief of MCA Youth, Liow has been avoiding to reply on the debate with no follow up with DAPSY in finalizing the fine details of the debate. Instead, MCA Youth staged their second or third-liner leaders to come out with open statement, repeatedly counter-proposing on the fine details with the intention to blurr the public vision on the real meaning of the debate. 

MCA Youth should take up the challenge sportingly and come clear on several issues, including the decision of the Pulic Service Department (PSD) of not recognizing the academic qualification of Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) College, a college founded by MCA itself in 1969. It is mind-boggling to witness that the academic qualification of TARC graduates not recognized by PSD while TARC graduate enjoy good pays and salaries in the private sector, some even on par with graduates from local and foreign universities recognized by the PSD. 

TARC is not only found by MCA but is also subsized by the government on a one-ringgit-to-one-ringgit basis. If the government can subsidize the college, it is unreasonable for the government to refuse to recognize the college, more so when MCA is the second largest component party in the Barisan Nasional. 

And therefore, I would like to strongly urge the MCA Youth to come clear (堂堂正正、清清白白、踏踏实实) on this issue, and the best way to do that is to accept the invitation from DAPSY to attend an open debate and clarify the issue, once and for all. 

If the MCA is fighting for the government to recognize Chinese studies bachelor degree conferred by Peking Univerisity and Qinghua University, two top universities in China, why does MCA neglect the college it founded? 

Is it not another clear example that MCA is only a puppet in the ruling coalition? 

Has MCA started their struggle to push the government to recognize the academic qualification of TARC? If yes, then can there be an announcement of the progress? 

DAPSY Deputy Chief YB Chong Chieng Jen will pose this queston to the Minister of Higher Education and Prime Minister Department when debating on motion of thanks for the Royal Address. 

But it would definitely do MCA Youth no harm if they can come out with an open and complete explanation not only to the students and graduates but also to their parents and potential students, and the best chance to do that will be to attend the debate with DAPSY. 

Instead of wasting valuable time writing statements in counter-proposing our requests, attacking the DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng and PKR leaders , Chai Kim Sen, Lee Wee Kiat, Soon Tian Szu should turn back to their own Youth Chief to accept DAPSY’s invitation.

(30/3/2007)