Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

September 9, 2020

Face up to Urban-Rural Resource Disparities Urged

To Promote Fair Telecommunications Competition

Dong Jiao Zong urges the government to face up to the extant regional development disparities and believes that government servants need to improve the disparities between urban and rural education resources as well as stopping to bully Sabah undergraduate Ms Veveonah and hold strategic discussion on the issues instead. Besides, the government is further urged to promote fair telecommunications competition, develop public network to shorten the digital gap between urban and rural areas in the country.

The said bullying took place immediate after Sabah undergraduate Ms Veveonah Mosibin had uploaded her footage of spending 24 hours on top of a tree for better web accessibility for online examination, she was later reprimanded by two cabinet ministers successively. Zahidi Zainul Abidin, in the capacity of the Deputy Communication and Multimedia Minister, seems to overlook the needs of internet infrastructure in rural areas as a reality. Datuk Abdul Rahim Bin Bakri as the Finance Minister cum the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Kudat constituency in Sabah, likewise needs to understand the importance of fair resource distribution and his contemptuous defiance of public opinion is a dereliction of duty. These two ministers are arrogant in attitude and have been casting personal attacks on Ms Veveonah Mosibin since then. We reckon, if an elected minister feels not truly for the sufferings of the general public, but alternatively voices spurious comments for immediate victory, a pressing self-criticism is needed or otherwise the impression of incompetence stays.

Of late, the right of internet access has gradually been accorded as yet another human right; that said, the government bears the responsibility to provide basic internet access to the people. Unfortunately, the accessibility of the internet in Malaysia has long been denounced in terms of quality such as coverage, speed and price comparing to similar provision in countries like Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, etc. It is thought that the poor internet accessibility correlates with the tolerance of monopoly given to a handful of consortiums. We suggest that the government should nationalise the key structure of broadband internet and retender service providers thus to break away from consortium monopoly as the promotion of fair telecommunications competition is beneficial to the public at large.

We understand that Ms Veveonah Mosibin comes from the underprivileged group in an education resource wanting region. The priority of the government is expected to address structural problems like resource disparities and the like. The said incident reveals the long existing unfair gap and distribution of education resource, in particular internet accessibility and digital provision for underprivileged students in the society. The covid-19 ravage has changed the country’s education ecology as it makes online teaching even more necessary. As such, the Ministry of education and the Ministry of Higher Education are urged to attend immediately to problems such as online teaching confronted by all types of schools as well as urban and rural telecommunications disparities.

Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

September 3, 2020

Dong Jiao Zong greatly regrets to learn the comments made by PAS information chief Kamaruzaman Mohamad alleging that vernacular school harms the build-up of national unity and also worries about the successive extremist comments made by politicians and political parties as a prevailing phenomenon. Dong Jiao Zong berates this vicious act as it harms unity as well as national integrity and forwards this statement proper:

1. In response to the fact that aiming to incite racial and religious sentiments, many politicians and political parties are airing extremist racial and religious comments regardless of the country’s inherent multiplicity, including pressing the government to close down vernacular schools as well as forwarding “distorted Bible” views, etc., Dong Jiao Zong berates this devastating act which essentially harms national harmony and unity. In actual fact, the growth of this detrimental trend brings about panic, the entire country will result in an unruly chaos or worse still, racial confrontation and hatred that is destructive to the nation. Weighing on these, Dong Jiao Zong hereat beseeches the Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin bin Haji Muhammad Yassin to face up its seriousness and take immediate preventive actions to curb the ravaging of racial and religious extremism lest the multiplicity of this country will be fractured.

2. We should also note that since independence, our national education system has subsumed three types of vernacular schools, namely, national, national-type Chinese or Tamil primary schools. These vernacular schools have since used their own mother tongue (Bahasa Melayu, Chinese and Tamil) as the medium of instruction as they are responsive to the needs of pluralistic society and the rights of mother tongue education endowed by the Constitution and hence should not be questioned and challenged by people obsessed with ulterior motive. Dong Jiao Zong posits, notwithstanding the medium of instruction in these vernacular schools differs, they adapt the national curriculum formulated by the Ministry of Education to cultivate identical values. In addition, the coexistence of these schools over the several decades have not harmed national unity but rather enriched her multiplicity as well as producing batches of polymaths continuously. As it stands, the existence of vernacular schools is not merely her unique characteristic but it also helps in international competitiveness and these were recognised and assured by our national leaders.

3. In view of this, the comment made by PAS claiming that vernacular schools harm national unity actually belies the reality and misleads the general public as it ulteriorly denies the existence of vernacular schools and their seminal contributions. Dong Jiao Zong opines, the unfair policy practiced by the government and the distortion of facts in racial and religious extremist comments made by some political parties, organisations and individuals aiming to instigate sensitive racial sentiments are the roots of the problem.

4. The harmonious coexistence of pluralistic cultures and multi-race are the most treasured legacy of our country and it outstands our country and earns respect from the world stage. Since the existence and development of the vernacular schools are responsive to the country’s multiracial needs, both the government and political parties at large are obliged to safeguard and consolidate them accordingly. In addition, Dong Jioa Zong also urges all political parties to realise the multiplicity of the country and be prepared to lead the country in a race-surmounting mindset, including the quality promotion of vernacular schools, enhancement of the entire development of national education which are convinced to be the right track of advancement.

Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

September 1, 2020

Denial of Chinese Vernacular Schools Construction/Relocation Plan Transfixed

Dong Jiao Zong Urges Transparent Development Disclosure

In response to the Deputy Minister of Education Muslimin Yahaya’s denial on the construction and relocation plan of Chinese vernacular schools and viewing it as past news and issue, Dong Jiao Zong is transfixed and urges the government to disclose the details shortly hence to settle the doubts on the said matter.

1. Prior to the 14^th National Election, the then Minister of Education Mahdzir Bin Khalid pronounced the approval of the construction of 10 and relocation of 6 Chinese vernacular schools on October 26, 2017. The pronouncement was widely reported on news media including the official media.

List of 10 Chinese vernacular schools to be constructed and their location:

Johor (total 5):

(1) SJK(C) Kuek Ho Yao, Johor (Mount Austin, Johor Bahru)

(2) SJK(C) Sim Mow Yu, Johor (Meridin East, Johor Bahru)

(3) SJK(C) Tun HS Lee, Johor (Bandar Cemerlang, Ulu Tiram, Johor Bahru)

(4) SJK(C) Tan Kah Kee, Johor (Iskandar Puteri, Johor Bahru)

(5) SJK(C) Cheah Fah, Johor (Sunway Iskandar)

Selangor (total 5):

(6) SJK(C) Lee Loy Seng, Selangor (Bandar Seri Coalfields)

(7) SJK(C) Sunsuria, Selangor (Bandar Sunsuria)

(8) SJK(C) Tun Ong Yoke Lin, Selangor (Gamuda Cove)

(9) SJK(C) Tun Lim Chong Eu, Selangor (Eco Grandeur)

(10) SJK(C) Too Joon Hing, Selangor (Dengkil)

List of 6 Chinese vernacular schools to be relocated and their location:

(1) SJK(C) Poay Chai, Singkir, Kedah (to be relocated to Taman Bukit Indah, Johor)

(2) SJK(C) Pei Min, Gopeng, Perak (to be relocated to Puchong Perdana, Selangor)

(3) SJK(C) Aik Hua, Taiping, Perak (to be relocated to Kota Seriemas, Negeri Sembilan)

(4) SJK(C) Ladang Regent, Negeri Sembilan (to be relocated to Bandar Elmina, Selangor)

(5) SJK(C) Panching, Kuantan (to be relocated to Kota SAS, Kuantan)

(6) SJK(C) Ladang Grisek, Bukit Gambir, Johor (to be relocated to Kota Masai, Pasir Gudang, Johor)

2.  Immediately after the national election, the Ministry of Education announced their decision to proceed with the said “10+6 Chinese Vernacular Schools Construction and Relocation Plan” only the location for certain schools reviewed and in addition, putting another 10 earlier approved to be unconstructed/relocated schools into consideration thus formed the reviewed plan for a total of 26 schools, viz., the “10+6+10 Plan”. According to the news reported on January 31 this year, all the mentioned schools were incorporated in the construction/relocation plan pronounced by the then Deputy Education Minister Ms Teo Nie Ching.

3. Dong Jiao Zong persists, the said construction and relocation plan was approved by the former MOE in black and white and has since advanced partially, the brush-of and denial of the plan by the incumbent Deputy Education Minister should not have occurred in the first place.

4. Dong Jiao Zong is indeed transfixed by the statement made by the Deputy Education Minister Muslimin Yahaya that “the MOE is not planning to construct and relocate Chinese vernacular schools” as it belies the reality. The above comment made by the Deputy Education Minister has deplored and fazed the Chinese community profusely. As such, Dong Jiao Zong urges the government to clarify the matter and disclose the development details of the construction and relocation of the schools to ensure a correct understanding.

Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

August 18, 2020

Vernacular Schools Generate Disunity Refuted

Unjust Policy is the Cause of National Disunity

Dong Jiao Zong refutes Kinabatangan (Sabah) MP Bung Mokhtar Radin’s recent remarks claiming that “the existence of vernacular schools is the cause of disunity” and posits that the government needs to face the multiracial reality of the country since earning its independence and should feel proud of its multicultural coexistence. Dong Jiao Zong also cautions the raise of religious and political extremism which essentially impacts the country’s multiplicity and national integrity.

We should note that vernacular schools have existed long before independence and the rights of mother tongue education endowed by the Constitution as well as the safeguard of multiethnic, religious, cultural and educational reality was the social contract unanimously agreed upon by all ethnic groups while fighting for its independence. Notwithstanding the medium of instruction differs in both Chinese and Indian primary schools, the national curriculum is strictly observed and Bahasa Melayu and English are the required subjects taught and examined.

As it stands, national-type schools, religious schools, independent Chinese secondary schools, private schools, international schools or other type of schools exist in responsive to the change of era and social needs. They in true fact have coexisted harmoniously for long and have produced polymaths for the country continuously which are undeniable. In this vein, we strongly believe that vernacular schools do not cause national disunity; rather, unfair policies practiced by the government are the roots of the problem.

Other than ensuring the right to education, the government is expected to raise just and effective education resource distribution strategies and nurture polymaths of various sorts; in particular on fundamental education, the government is obliged by law to uphold minority groups and under privileged groups, shorten the distance between urban and rural area thus to promote social mobility and create a harmonious and stable society. The blessed multicultural reality of Malaysia has never been the original sin of national disunity. To firstly embrace multiple coexistences as well as maintaining the fertile soil of multiplicity later can competitiveness then be promoted in the society to generate pluralistic, variegated and spectacular vitality.

The preposterous comments made by selfish politicians regularly to incite racial sentiments and create confrontation are in true fact the cause of social disunity and the impediment of advancement towards national unity and integrity. Bung Mokhtar Radin’s repugnant paradoxes voices in the parliament albeit enjoying legislative immunity is generally predicted to be controversial and unfounded which are unfaithful to the truth. The duty and responsibility of a parliament member is to be the mouthpiece of the people, supervise the government, audit national budget and partake legislative debates. Ever since the party alteration in the country, Malaysians are enlightened and thus the situation defers. We therefore earnestly advise politicians in general to speak prudentially and cautiously and stay away from dereliction.