KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 ― Malay rights group Perkasa protested today the federal government’s decision to build 10 new Chinese vernacular schools, demanding that the funds be channeled to national schools instead.

In a press statement, the group’s deputy president Datuk Sirajuddin Salleh insisted that the government is already spending "a lot of money” on Chinese vernacular schools nationwide.

"The government already has to spend a lot of money to help these schools stay in operation. The budget for these 10 schools should be used to develop national schools that still lack a lot of amenities, especially in rural areas,” said Sirajuddin, adding that the decision is a slap in the face for the Malay community.

He also said that there are "more than 1,000 Chinese vernacular schools”, giving the image that the Chinese will not be sending their kids to national schools for early education.

"This [decision] opposes the government’s policy on unity. This means that the Chinese do not support the 1Malaysia philosophy. Perkasa believes that Dong Zong and those supporting Chinese vernacular schools as traitors to the country,” said Sirajuddin, using the Chinese name for the United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia.

Sirajudin proposed for the government to implement a single stream education system from primary school up to secondary school education to achieve "national unity”.

Yesterday, Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid announced the approval of 10 new Chinese vernacular schools: five in Johor and five in Selangor.

Earlier today, MCA publicity chief Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker lauded Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s decision saying that the latter "did not give in to party extremists”.

Malay Mail Online previously reported that the number of Chinese vernacular schools is decreasing.

Based on data from Dong Zong and the Education Ministry, there are now only 1,298 Chinese-language national-type primary schools or SKJC last year compared to 1,346 in 1970.