MCA sidelined DongJiaoZong in joint dialogue with Chinese guilds
andassociations
Media Statement
by Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew
(Petaling Jaya, Friday):
MCA had deliberately
sidelined DongJiaoZong, the highest NGO governing body for Chinese education
in Malaysia in the joint dialogue with all major federation of Chinese
guilds and clan associations in Malaysia on Wednesday, 2003-11-05.
About 120 leaders from FCAM, ACCIM and other major clan associations
attended the dialogue organised by the MCA. Gerakan, SUPP and other
Chinese-based BN component parties were also absent from the dialogue. It
was learnt that they were also not invited by the MCA.
This is not the first time DongJiaoZong was being marginalised by the MCA.
Some may want to believe that MCA could not face the DJZ leaders for MCA has
time and again failed to deliver in issues relating to mother tongue
education.
MCA has been criticised strongly by the DJZ and the Chinese community over
its failure to re-open the original SJKC Damansara, failure to reject Vision
school concept, failure in building more Chinese primary schools in urban
areas, and forcing the Chinese community to accept the crazy 2-4-3 formula
(teaching Math and Science in both English and Chinese).
The MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said that the over three-hour
dialogue discussed no less than 100 subjects. This had made one wonder
whether MCA leaders and other representatives of guilds and associations
were serious about the dialogue. Or the dialogue was nothing more than an
MCA's public relations exercise.
Ong has also announced that a working committee was set up to focus on
changing the mindset of the Chinese community. This is not something new (he
has made some publicity out of this subject with the help of his cronies in
the FCAM he was the deputy Home Affairs Minister) but nothing more than a
pet project for the purpose of projecting Ong as a "reformist of Chinese
culture and tradition". Where is the credibility of Ong when he himself was
known to have links with triad leaders such as "Jackie Chan"?
Ong should not shy away from the Dong Jiao Zong. What he really should do is
to immediately hold a dialogue with the leaders of DJZ to find solutions for
various unresolved issues close to the heart of the community. For example,
the re-opening of the original SJKC Damansara, Vision School, 2-4-3 Formula,
acute shortage of Chinese primary schools in urban area, shortage of
teachers, recognition of Chinese independent high school graduates and those
who studied in well-established Taiwanese and Chinese universities.
(7/11/2003)
* Liu Tian
Khiew, DAP national publicity secretary and Selangor chairman
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