FORMER prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad must stop spewing any more inflammatory statements which brings no value to national unity, said a PKR leader.
PKR deputy Information chief (1) Datuk R.Ramanan said it was disappointing that the fourth and seventh prime minister had to release a seditious statement asking for the abolition of vernacular schools, even though they were part of the national education system.
“Tamil and Chinese vernacular schools were institutions funded by the federal government and have long existed since independence, unlike the private schools,” the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) Special Committee chairman was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia in a statement today (Aug 31).
“On average, Chinese primary schools have about 100,000 non-Chinese students, namely Indians and Malays. The numbers are about the same for non-Indian students presently studying at Tamil primary schools all over.
“These students will play a major role in nation-building in time to come,” Ramanan said.
The Sungai Buloh MP also invited Dr Mahathir to see their attributes to national unity in their programme and syllabus, adding that some of the best talents had graduated from these primary schools and they were occupying high positions in the government and the private sector today.
“It is also because of vernacular schools that Malaysians have been able to have a better grasp of Mandarin and Tamil, linguistic assets,” headed.
Ramanan went on to say that one of the main reasons Malays and Indians were sending their children to these vernacular schools for primary education was because they wanted their children to learn Mandarin or Tamil.
“Moreover, China and India are major economies, and it is something we must understand, and when our children are able to speak these languages, they become highly marketable and are sought after, giving them better opportunities in their careers later on,” Ramanan remarked.
According to Ramanan, Dr Mahathir, unfortunately, has chosen to see everything from a racial angle, to ensure he stays relevant in the news.
“At 98 he should play the role of bringing Malaysians together instead of creating division via some of his recent statements.
“With respect, we would like to know if his (Dr Mahathir’s) grandchildren attend private or international schools or are they in our Sekolah Kebangsaan, like the rest of Malaysians?”
Ramanan further said it was a sad sight when Dr Mahathir still refers to Malaysians who are not Malays as “pendatang” (immigrants) despite gaining independence for 66 years.
“It is not vernacular schools that have caused the division in the country, but politicians like Dr Mahathir,” he said. – Aug 31, 2023
Main pic credit: The Star
