PETALING JAYA: The cause of national disunity is not vernacular schools, but rather politicians like Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, according to Sungai Buloh MP Datuk R. Ramanan.
The chairman of the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) Special Committee expressed regret that Dr Mahathir resorted to a seditious statement in calling for the abolishment of vernacular schools. Ramanan, who is also the PKR deputy information chief, believes that given Dr Mahathir’s age of 98, he should be working towards bringing Malaysians together instead of creating division. He further urged the former prime minister to cease making inflammatory statements that do not contribute to national unity.
Ramanan also highlighted that vernacular schools, unlike private schools, have been funded by the Federal Government since Malaysia’s independence and are integral to the national school system.
“Chinese primary schools, for example, have over 100,000 Malays, Indians, and other bumiputras. Similarly, Indian primary schools play a significant role in nation-building,” stated Ramanan. He invited Dr Mahathir to personally visit these schools and witness their contribution to national unity through their programs and syllabi.
Ramanan also noted that many graduates from these primary schools have gone on to hold high positions in the government and private sector, emphasizing the caliber of talent they produce.
The existence of these schools has allowed Malaysians to gain proficiency in Mandarin and Tamil, which are valuable linguistic assets, according to Ramanan.
“One reason why Malays and Indians send their children to these vernacular schools for six years of primary education is because they want them to learn Mandarin or Tamil,” said Ramanan. He added that individuals proficient in these languages are sought after in the job market, given China and India’s status as major economies.
Ramanan also highlighted that Bahasa Malaysia is given significant emphasis in these schools.
“It is unfortunate that Dr Mahathir sees everything from a racial standpoint just to stay in the headlines,” he remarked, questioning whether Dr Mahathir’s grandchildren attend private or international schools or study in national schools. Initially hesitant to respond to Dr Mahathir’s call for the abolishment of vernacular schools, Ramanan felt compelled to offer a rebuttal in order to clarify the situation.
“It is regrettable that Dr Mahathir continues to refer to non-Malay Malaysians as pendatang (immigrants) as we celebrate the nation’s 66th anniversary,” Ramanan said. He concluded by quoting American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who famously stated, “we all come in different ships but we are in the same boat now.” Ramanan emphasized that this should be the shared destiny of all Malaysians, regardless of their race or religion.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
