‘Lim uses schools to talk politics’
Penang CM should know why he’s not allowed to enter these premises, says Chong
KUALA LUMPUR: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng should know why he is not allowed to enter schools, said Deputy Education Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon.
He added when Lim went to the schools to attend functions or to hand over allocations, he tended to use them as a platform to talk politics.
“He has been using these functions to speak about politics and to slam the Federal Government with baseless accusations, especially against the Education Ministry.
“Lim had also politicised issues of allocations whenever the Penang government is giving allocations to schools.
“He should know better why he has problems entering schools while other chief ministers, MPs and assemblymen have no problem,” he told a press conference at Wisma MCA here yesterday.
Chong said the Penang Education Department merely wanted to prevent schools from being used as a platform for any politicking.
He also clarified that he had never asked Lim to write to the state Education Department for approval before visiting SJK(C) Kampung Sungai Lembu.
“I don’t know where he got that information from. We welcome any state government (representatives) to provide allocations to schools because it is everyone’s effort to make schools a better place for children.
“But don’t use them to attack the Federal Government,” he said.
In George Town, state Education director Shaari Osman said chief ministers and mentris besar visiting schools needed to get the approval from the Education Ministry first.
“I have given the explanation that officials from those of a higher level who wish to visit schools would need approval from the Education Ministry. This goes for the public as well except for members of the school’s parent-teacher association.
“If a school organises an Open Day, only then would they be free to enter the school,” Shaari said during a visit to SJK (C) Kwang Hwa in Sungai Nibong on the first day of the UPSR.
On Saturday, Lim was reported to have expressed dismay that he was prevented from visiting the school on Aug 26.
He then challenged the Education Ministry to “guarantee that they would fulfil all the development requirements of the Chinese schools in Penang”.