Sat Dec 1 2012
KAMPAR: Some 92 per cent of Chinese parents send their children to Chinese primary schools, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
He said the number of non-Chinese pupils in Chinese schools was also increasing.
"Non-Chinese students make up about 15 per cent of the total enrolment in Chinese primary schools now, against 8 per cent in the 1980's.
"The people's confidence in the schools is reflective of the efforts put in by the MCA and the Barisan Nasional government to improve the schools," he said during a fund raising dinner for SJKC Ying Sing in Malim Nawar here yesterday.
Dr Chua added that it was unfortunate that the Opposition and certain quarters had politicised education.
"These people claim to support Chinese education but their actions are contrary to their claim."
He pointed out that the Pakatan-ruled state like Selangor had never allocated land for Chinese primary schools.
Despite losing the state, Barisan's Federal Government had continued to improve Chinese primary schools in Selangor, he added.
Dr Chua said under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's leadership, the Government had intensified efforts to further improve Chinese primary schools.
He added that RM100mil (S$40.2 million) was given to the Chinese primary schools this year with the same amoun for t next year.
On Chinese Independent Schools, Dr Chua said the students could apply for National Higher Education Fund Corporation loans and every year, 50 top scorers from the schools would each get a RM45,000 scholarship.
The scholarship is based on the Unified Examination Certificate offered by the independent schools.
To open up more tertiary education opportunities for Chinese educated students, Dr Chua said there were 820 universities from China with mutual recognition by China and Malaysia.
He said Najib and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin would discuss with the Chinese top leaders on the mutual recognition during their trips to China.
Dr Chua said he had openly challenged Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim five times to state his stand on Chinese education; whether Pakatan Rakyat would promise to build more Chinese primary schools and Chinese Independent schools, and recognise the Unified Examination Certificate,
He said Anwar had not given him an answer to date.
