Chinese schools not impeding unity

PETALING JAYA: Vernacular schools are not a hindrance to national unity, said MCA Youth Education Bureau National chairman Lim Ching Hao.

Lim was responding to comments by Umno Youth exco member Shahril Hamdan, who called for the government to reduce financial aid or government recognition for vernacular education and that he would oppose efforts to recognise the United Examination Certificate (UEC).

Lim said at the recently concluded MCA annual general meeting, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak had responded positively to MCA’s request for more Chinese primary schools.

Najib had also pledged to work closely with MCA to build more vernacular schools for the Chinese community, he added.

He said the Education Ministry revealed that the number of non-Chinese pupils attending Chinese national vernacular schools (SJKC) had increased steadily by 20.7% between 2010 and 2014.

“In certain Chinese primary schools, enrolment of non-Chinese have overtaken the number of Chinese pupils ... for example, SJKC Aik Keow in Penaga and SJKC Kou Hua in Kuala Nerang (Penang), SJKC Wai Sin in Parit Buntar and SJKC Chong Wah in Semanggol (Perak),” Lim said in a statement yesterday.

He said taking these statistics into account, halting allocations to vernacular schools will affect the educational development of multiracial Malaysians.

“The growth of non-Chinese students in vernacular schools is recognition by the masses that Chinese vernacular schools are doing well and it is the pride of not just the Chinese community but the whole nation.”