P Kamalanathan should resign as the Deputy Education Minister

3 days ago, Jiao Zong (United Chinese School Teachers’ Association), Hua Zong (Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia) and the National Union of Heads of Schools have in a joint statement refuted Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s claim that they have accepted a proposal to raise the Bahasa Malaysia language lessons from 180 minutes a week to 240 minutes.

I have on Sept 7 said that Muhyiddin should make a clarification and even apologise for making such a misleading statement.

When the Chinese community is still waiting for Muhyiddin to do what he ought to do, the deputy education minister P Kamalanathan has come out to say a most shocking statement –that only the United Chinese School Committee’s Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) is dissatisfied with the National Education Blueprint 2013 -2025.

This is certainly not true, as at least on the issue of learning hours for Bahasa Malaysia, the above 3 groups have openly refuted Muhyiddin’s claim.

Whether Kamalanathan was trying to clarify on s behalf of his superior or speaking on his own behalf, he has certainly made remarks which are not the truth, unless he can substantiate his claim.

If he has understood the reasons why the Chinese education groups have opposed the Education Ministry’s original proposal of 300 minutes a week for Bahasa Malaysia language, he certainly would not have made the following remarks which can give rise to perception and accusation that the Chinese groups are anti Bahasa Malaysia.

Kamalanathan was quoted to say:-

“It is good to learn another language. Learning Bahasa Malaysia does not make one less Indian or Chinese”.

This shows he has not understood at all why the Chinese groups and community oppose the Ministry’s proposal, unless he has a political motive for saying so.

It was only last month when the SK Seri Pristana issue escalated into parents wanting to transfer their children out of the school that Kamalanathan had come out to say that the meals in changing room incident was just a small problem, compared to other schools that have done well in integrating its students.

Was he not trying to shift the focus away from the real and serious development then – the bullying and intimidation of the pupils?

He has now again committed two serious mistakes, firstly , for saying that only Dong Zong is unhappy with the National Education Blueprint and secondly, for making remarks which could cause public to wrongly think that Chinese groups and community’s opposition to the proposed 270 minutes a week learning hours is because they are anti Bahasa Malaysia.

The Chinese groups have openly made it very clear that their opposition to the hours proposed by the Education Ministry is not because they are anti Bahasa Malaysia language.

Not only Kamalanathan owes the Chinese groups and community an apology, he should resign his deputy minister’s position because he is just unfit for this position.

Teresa Kok Suh Sim DAP National Vice Chairperson & MP for Seputeh