MCA members get nod for rally

They can take part in Kuantan assembly provided it is peaceful, says Dr Chua

MALIM NAWAR: MCA members can take part in a rally in Kuantan tomorrow to ask for a Chinese independent school, provided that it is a peaceful assembly, said party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

He said this was because MCA was all for Chinese education, including building more independent schools and improving existing ones.

MCA, he added, had made several breakthroughs on matters concerning Chinese independent schools in the last one to two years, among which, were for its students to have access to PTPTN loans and for their top 50 students every year to receive scholarships worth RM45,000 each.

Dr Chua said the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) had been accepted for entry into local public teachers training college, adding that MCA was also striving for its full recognition.

The Perak Government had also given land to independent schools to plant oil palm as a source of income, he said.

Dr Chua said although MCA’S approach in promoting Chinese education might differ from that of other organisations, they all shared a similar objective.

“In this case (Kuantan rally), we share the same objective. But I must say that members must follow the law and not tarnish the party’s image,” he said when commenting on the rally — dubbed the 520 (May 20) rally — organised by Chinese educationists in Kuantan.

Taking a swipe at DAP, Dr Chua said the Opposition party was only democratic in name, adding that some of its leaders had no room for different ideas over issues.

As a result, he claimed that over 40 of its top leaders had left the party — either through resignation or sacking — since it was set up in 1966, citing DAP vice-chairman Tunku Aziz Tunku Ibrahim’s recent quitting because he was not in favour of Bersih 3.0 as a good example.

Earlier, when launching a groundbreaking ceremony for a new classroom block in SKJKC Ying Sing here, Dr Chua also announced a RM200,000 allocation for its construction, estimated to cost RM300,000.

At a luncheon with non-governmental bodies in Kampar, he said public support for Barisan Nasional in the general election would enable the Government to continue with its transformation programmes to turn the country into a high-income nation by 2020.