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Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Chinese Mother Tongue Education


I observe that in the recent UMNO divisional AGM, many divisions have passed on a resolution calling for the Government to either abolish SRJK (C) or to stop the construction of new SRJK (C) schools. This is an old issue often used by politicians from both political divide to make them look great and good.

In the MCA AGM, Education, especially in mother tongue education is a sure hot topic. Politicians must not forget that freedom of education and the right to study mother tongue education is enshrined in the Constitution. Blaming Chinese education for disunity sounds like a desperate politician unable to understand the underlying cause of disunity in a multi racial country.

Opposition like any opposition party of the world is there to discredit the Government. Unfortunately UMNO politicians seem to take the bait, like hook line and sinker. Mother tongue education will not be an issue and the opposition will have no opportunity to exploit it if the Government gives adequate, equal and fair treatment to the Chinese education without neglecting Bahasa Melayu. It is only the naive that believes a singular education system will create unity in Malaysia.

I thought Malaysians are always proud of our strength in diversity. 57 years after independence, we seem to lay the blame on diversity and a bilingual education system as a root to our disunity among the ethnic groups. 15% of the Chinese school enrolment comes from Non-Chinese and the percentage is increasing everywhere. Are you saying parents are not sensitive to their children’s needs? A parent is most concerned about their children’s education irrespective of their social status. They want the best for their children.

There are many examples in the world that in a mono ethnic country with same religion and mother tongue but they are the most disunited people. In these countries, opposition do not come from a single ethnic group; there are deeper issues involved in disunity, on which I do not wish to go into detail.

So, hopefully some UMNO divisional leaders will wake up, this issue will not bring any benefit, both to the party and in the General Election. It is the intolerance and refusal to accept the different stream of education that causes us more ethnic tension. If some UMNO leaders does not wake up to today’s political reality in Malaysia, UMNO and BN will miss the train and start the blame game. Progressive and competitive nation should encourage its citizen to be multilingual but unfortunately, some politicians just ignored the elephant
in the room. They choose to get the 5 minutes publicity.

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在最近召开的巫区部大会上,多的巫区部通决,促政府小或停止建新的小。是朝野政客用的老,他无非是要借此来逞英雄。

马华全国代表大会,教育课题到母教育,始是一项热辩题。从政者必须谨记,享有自由教育和学教育的力,是我国予和保障的。咎于文教育致人民不然的失意政客根本不了解,在多元种族的国度里,到底什么才是造成不的原因。

我国的反党,就和全世界的反党一,目的就是要抹黑政府。不幸的是,巫的政客似乎竟然也采取种伎。如果政府是公平、合理和适小,而同又没有忽略国,那么母教育将不会成为课题,反党也就没有机会加以利用渲染。只有天真无知的人士,才会认为文教育才会促全民

我想全体来西人都会有的多元特色感到傲。独立57年以来,我好像一直把多元和多教育制度,看成是造成不同族群无法的根源。目前小有15%的学生是非裔,而且个比率往上升。道你认为父母子女的需求不甚在意?任何的家,不管他是怎的社会背景,都是非常关注子女的教育,他孩子最好的一切。

世界上有一些国家,然它一种族,而且是相同宗教信仰和同的母,可是他却是最不的民族。在些国家里,反党并不是来自某个一的族群。实际上国民不许许多多的因近由,不我不愿在详谈

所以我希望一些巫的区部袖能悟,这样课题党和大,都不会来任何的好。其就是因无法容忍和拒接受不同源流的教育体系,才致族群之的关系紧张。如果一些巫不能清今今日大的政治状况,那么巫和国将会机,最后落得互相指的地步。

一个步和更具争力的国家,是应该鼓励她的子民掌握多种言,憾的是多政客却不愿和接受事只是择沉醉在自我



Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Azmin Ali: MB Selangor with no honeymoon period

Now that Azmin Ali is the MB of Selangor, he will be under the microscope from his enemies within the Party, DAP, PAS, BN and finally the rakyat. One should not forget that the Sultan of Selangor would be monitoring him closely as well. After all, he is appointed by the Sultan and his appointment is perceived by many to be extra constitutional.

It is only by performance as a MB that will vindicate him from these accusations. Azmin’s worst enemy will be his own party members. The unprecedented long period of party election has only served to aggravate infighting among the members of PKR. How Azmin reaches out to his enemy within the Party and whether or not he takes care of his own supporters will in a way influence his performance as a MB.

DAP and PAS are not going to give Azmin an easy ride, especially after he reduces the PAS EXCO from 4 to 3. If he gives in too much to DAP, Azmin will be perceived as pandering to the Chinese based party. How Azmin manages his relationship with the Palace will be crucial. The Palace’s support will be his trump card but if he over display the Palace card, it will work to his disadvantage in the long term.

Having work in the state as an EXCO in Johor, one cannot deny that the State Government’s relationship with the palace is crucial if you want to get things done. Although the Sultan is regarded as a Constitutional Head, but often his influence is palpable, especially in running the daily affairs of the state. Any MB who wish to ignore this would have to accept the consequences at his own peril.

Honeymoon is not with Azmin when he has to contend with a lot of state and federal issues that need to be resolved. Time may not be on his side. The six highway crisscrossing Selangor and the issue of the water consolidation within the state are elephant in his room. If he is not firm and at the same time not inclusive towards his own state assemblyman from PR, and the interest of Selangor rakyat, he will be seen to be a lackey of UMNO and BN.

For the water issue, time to resolve is of essence in view of water shortage in Selangor. So there is little room to maneuver, more so that his predecessor has signed a series of agreement with the federal government. For the toll highway crisscrossing the state, Azmin can play for time by holding public hearing in the name of being mesra rakyat. He can always insists on a detailed study of the socioeconomic impact of the highway in Selangor and play for time. After all, acquisition of land is a state matter.

The Bible issue will be a sensitive issue that Azmin needs to address. Since religion comes under the state with the Sultan as the head of Islamic religion, Azmin has to walk a tight rope to balance the state religious authority under the Sultan and taking care of the religious sensitivities of the minorities.

After PR has won big in the 505 election in Selangor, the rakyat has high hope that the PR will implement its state election manifesto. This includes no toll highway, affordable housing and water consolidation. While Khalid has undertaken steps or initiatives to consolidate the water issues, no toll highway and affordable housing seems to be a far-fetched dream to Selangor rakyat.

The plate is full for Azmin. As the richest state, Azmin must maintain the momentum of development to ensure rapid economic growth and adequate state revenue. Much has been written about Khalid’s RM3 billion in reserve. It is unwarranted praise because what Khalid did was to increase revenue collection from land conversion and development charges. This is not difficult because of the property boom. It would be a challenge now that it is anticipated that there is going to be a property slow down.

A perusal of the state budget shows that the development budget for this year is lesser than last year. However, management expenditure has gone up by 20%. Azmin needs to revisit the unwarranted 400% increased of salary of state representatives. It’s unthinkable for the State Speaker to be paid a salary of a Cabinet Minister.  In the state, the speaker of the Dewan is the most leisurely job as PR has more than 2/3 ADUN. How his colleague in Pakatan Rakyat will react when their salary are brought down to earth having enjoy sky-high salary for the last few month?

Khalid was criticized as aloof and do not reach out to his colleagues in the State Assembly. Hence, a lot of PR ADUN claimed they are unaware of the development within the state. Azmin needs to strike a balance of disclosing what the wakil rakyat need to know and at the same time ensuring confidentiality of the state information.


At the hike of the Selangor MB crisis, I predicted a month ago that Azmin will finally be the Menteri Besar. Now that he is the anointed successor, Azmin has to answer the call of duty by the Sultan, Rakyat of Selangor, Anwar, Wan Azizah, PKR and PR’s partner. He must prove that he is the boss in Selangor to Anwar and his cronies. With resources at his disposal, he needs to stamp his mark that he will ultimately succeed Anwar and not a puppet MB. His distractor will continue to poke holes in his administration.

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