MCA and Chinese Guilds and
Associations Interactive Forum: A forum short of true representation,
sincerity and achievement
Media Statement
by Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew
(Petaling Jaya, Friday):
The MCA and Chinese
Guilds and Associations Interactive Forum held on Jan 8, 2004 did not
produce any fruitful results.
The forum was doomed to fail as it had
deliberately excluded the participation of the DongJiaoZong, the highest
umbrella body for Chinese education, and the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall,
a reputable organisation on issues concerning cultural and civil rights of
the Chinese community.
It's therefore not wrong for one to
describe the interactive forum organised by the MCA as " an interactive
forum that's short of true representation, sincerity and achievement."
As the forum was started on a wrong
footing (lack of true representation of the community), many important
issues that require urgent attention and solutions were either not dealt
with seriously or simply left out in the agenda.
Issues such as the 2-4-3 Formula, the
closure of SJKC Damansara, Vision School, Acute shortage of Chinese primary
schools in urban areas, acute shortage of Chinese school teachers were close
to the hearts of DongJaioZong, SCAH, DAP and the Chinese community in
general but these were not attended properly. All these issues were
inevitably swept under the carpet by the organiser.
With the forced implementation of the
2-4-3 Formula, the medium of examination (UPSR) will definitely be English
for Math and Science subjects by 2008 (whereas Chinese as a medium of
examination will be dropped by then). All Chinese primary schools would be
left with only one major subject in Chinese by then. There's no way for MCA
to preserve the character of Chinese schools without first resolving the
crisis related to the 2-4-3 Formula.
The first Vision School has been set
up with the endorsement and guidance from the MCA in Subang USJ. And more
and more will be set up all over the country. It's just matter of time
before the character of all Chinese schools will change to an unrecognisable
face.
MCA has also vowed to do something
about the closure of all mini-schools (with a student population of less
than 10). But we have serious doubt about the capability of MCA in handling
such issues if one takes a closer look at what has happened to SJKC
Damansara original school.
MCA has misled the Education Ministry
on the issue by feeding all kinds of misinformation. As a result, the school
has been shut down for more than 1,100 days since January 2001. The parents
continue to send their kids to study at a local temple (in air-coned
containers). The school survives on donations from individuals, political
parties and various Chinese guilds and associations. All MCA needs to do now
is to change its stance and persuade the Education Ministry to return the
key to the school, if the party wants to heed the call of the community.
MCA local MP Chew Mei Fun once said in
a gathering last year, that "to re-open SJKC Damansara would simply means
that DAP has won everything, and the MCA has lost everything." One can draw
his or her own conclusion from Chew's statement.
The so-called interactive forum
organised by MCA is nothing but a big PR exercise in preparing the party for
the coming general elections.
(9/1/2004)
* Ronnie Liu Tian
Khiew, DAP National Publicity Secretary
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