Dato' Mukhriz Mahathir, UMNO Youth Chief aspirant.
Published: Monday December 1, 2008 MYT 4:44:00 PM
Mukhriz: Scrap vernacular schools, one system for all
By SA’ODAH ELIAS
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief aspirant Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir has called on the Government to abolish the vernacular school system as a means to enhance unity among people of various races.
He said a single school system was the only way to check the racial polarisation that was getting out of control in the country.
“The government should consider introducing only one school system with Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction, except for Science and Mathematics which are already being taught in English.
“Of course, pupils should then be given the option to study their mother tongues. Under this system, the Malays will also have the option of studying other languages like Mandarin and Tamil and this will further boost unity among them,” he told reporters at Parliament House on Monday.
The Umno Youth exco member said it was time for Malaysia to do away with the dual school system, which was practised by only a handful of countries in the world, as it had contributed to the problem of disunity in the country.
He said over 99% of countries in the world practised a single school system.
He expressed hope that leaders of Barisan Nasional component parties would not take his suggestion in a negative light as it was only meant as a suggestion to resolve, once and for all, the problem of racial polarisation affecting the citizenry.
“If they reject this suggestion, then they should explain why they are against it. How is it possible for them on one hand to talk about unity and question Malay rights, while on the other hand still insist on having a different school system for their race?
“If you want equal rights then you cannot have a different school sistem. You cannot have your cake and eat it too,” he added.
He also urged all parties to stop harping on issues that could create tension among Barisan component parties, including on the issue of Ketuanan Melayu or Malay supremacy.
Lately, he said, there were many statements made by leaders of component parties that had the potential to create anger among the Malays and Umno members.
“If they insist on making statements on that issue, then do not be surprised if the Malays start talking about the economic supremacy of the non-Malays.
“Despite all that has been said on the issue of Malay supremacy, the Malays do not feel in any way superior or the master when it comes to the country’s economy,” he said. (The Star Online, 1 December 2008)
Comments:
Indirectly Mukhriz seems to say that all the while the government has been wrong in implementeing its education policy. The creation of Sekolah jenis Kebangsaan has given more problems than solving them. But will other political parties buy it, especially if they are based on race. It is nice to listen what Lim Ki Siang, Karpal Singh. Ong Tee Kiat and Samy Vellu have to say about this. Perhaps these leaders should follow the cue from the American Nationl policy on education. And President-elect Barack Obama is just one of the products of the American education system.But mind you it takes more than 200 years to put an African-American into the White House, not without bloodshed.
Who knows one day one of the grandchildren of the present leaders, irrespective of Chinese Nationality, Indians or other minority groups will become the Prime Minister of Malaysia!
Tabik to Mukhriz! What say you, Dr. Khir Toyo and Khairy Jamaluddin?
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