“YOU can hurl insults that we’re pigs or look down at the Buddhism or Taoism religion … But you can’t despise our education, it’s SACRED, no matter how much money you have, you must chip in”.
The above comment by a presumably Chinese parent may sound crude or vulgar at the outset but it accurately addresses the surprise of a Malay mother at donations that cross the million-ringgit mark by the Chinese community towards Chinse national-type primary schools (SJKC) to supplement existing government allocations.
pi concert tadika anak kt sjkc chung kwo loke yew, luar dewan dia ada board cmni bgthu berapa sumbangan diorg n from siapa..tgklah paling byk berapa 😭😭 https://t.co/qZlCRMXCxS pic.twitter.com/guRpVU7qYx
— Syafiqah (@MissKinkiychu) March 19, 2024
The netizen Wilson YIMBY 🧢🪐(@wilsonyimby) was answering the excitement of a Malay father of two who was equally impressed that the “biggest amount topped RM2 mil” when parents at national schools would make a fuss for having to cough up RM50/year to sponsor PIBG (parents-teachers association) activities.
The online debate came about following an earlier viral post by Aysha Ridzuan (@ayshardzn) who was fascinated at toilets of a SJKC in Kuala Lumpur which she claimed were self-funded by parents. The post has hit a whopping 5.2 million views at the time of writing.
Another netizen shared that when his father was a PIBG chairman, he had a torrid time seeking donation for the construction of a school surau from so-called “Malay millionaires”.
On the contrary, it was a smooth-flowing affair to raise funds in Chinese vernacular schools as parents understand the value of education to their children’s future.
One observant netizen pointed to the fact that even the Kuala Lumpur Kwangtung Cemetery Association has chipped in with RM135,000 “for the welfare of the future generation”.
Another netizen likened the donation board to Chinese wedding feasts whereby the amount of monetary gift from guests to the bride and groom “is duly written down”.
To sum up, a netizen pointed out to an age-old Chinese adage – “no matter how poor one is, one shouldn’t compromise on education”. – March 22, 2023
