Groups to discuss vernacular school issue

THE various Chinese associations and guilds in the country will be meeting on Saturday to discuss the “threat to vernacular schools”, announced Tan Sri Goh Tian Chuan, reported Sin Chew Daily.

The Huazong president said the associations will gather to discuss the recent attempt by lawyer Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz to challenge the legality of vernacular schools in court as he questioned why the national language is not used as a medium of instruction in the government-funded schools.

According to Goh, the meeting will be spearheaded by Chinese educationist groups Dong Zong and Jiao Zong who have set up a legal team specialising in constitutional law to research on the matter.

He said that to prevent redundant work, the associations should be pooling together their resources and form a collective strategy in addressing the issue.

“We also need the support of other races who share the same views as we do. We need to work with other moderate powers, including parties and associations, to protect vernacular schools and the right to mother tongue education.

“We want to ensure education continues to prosper here and contribute to the nation’s development,” he said during an event in Seremban on Friday.

Goh pointed out that vernacular schools have existed since before Merdeka and that they are protected by the Federal Constitution.

On Oct 23, Khairul Azam filed a notice of motion at the Federal Court seeking a declaration whether the existence of vernacular schools is constitutionally legal or illegal.

> After managing to win back her billionaire husband, Heidi Chan posted a photo of herself celebrating her 39th birthday with the family, reported China Press.

In the photo, Chan and her daughter are dressed as princesses.

Her husband Alvin Chau, 45, the casino tycoon from Macau, dons a dark T-shirt emblazoned with a photo of his family.

It was recently reported that Chau had paid HK$300mil (RM159mil) as a separation fee to Malaysian actress-model Mandy Lieu, 34, whom he had been involved with since 2014.

Chau fathered three children with Lieu but later cut ties with her.

Back in 2015, Chan had fought to preserve her marriage, warning other women to stay away.

“I do not need to prove anything to anyone. I am his wife,” she was reported to have said.

Chan and Lieu were caught in quite a public spat in the subsequent years.

In 2015, Lieu posted a photo of the daughter she had with Chau in what was seen as an attempt to provoke Chan.

The love triangle appears to have been over now.