KOTA KINABALU, Nov 16 — It is because of Umno that the ethnic Chinese in Malaysia are allowed to maintain their identities, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said, noting that not only does the community have their own schools under the vernacular education system, but are also given freedom to speak their own language and practise their religion.
The prime minister said that outside of China, Chinese vernacular schools can only be found in Malaysia, owing to the pioneering Umno leadership, which believed in the concept of multiculturalism.
“We have something nowhere else in the world has, outside of China. We give you your identity, culture, language, schools, religion – everything you wanted,” Najib said in his speech when addressing the delegates of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) here today.
“This is a huge concession made by our forefathers, and leadership of Umno, to be precise,” he said.
In return, Najib added, the leadership has asked for the Chinese community’s loyalty to the government.
He said that in light of what Umno has given to the Chinese, the community needs to understand that mutual respect between them and the Malays is imperative in uniting the nation.
“The Malays and the Chinese must be sensitive to each other. That is the essence of mutual respect. Once we have that, there will be peace and harmony.
“We don’t need laws, we need mutual respect for each other,” he said, adding that a good example of this was the Barisan Nasional (BN) government allowing Chinese schools to continue.
The prime minister, who is on a two-day visit to Kota Kinabalu, also said that education should not be politicised and both the cultures should learn each other’s language.
“What is wrong with emphasising learning the national language – speak it well and proficiently, not bahasa pasar (colloquially). And the Malays should also learn Mandarin – my own son is proficient in the language – and then we de-politicise education.
“Education is not political, it is something to build our national identity and competitiveness on – this is something we need – De-politicising education to make it a foundation to build a stronger Malaysia.
“Let us move forward without politicising everything,” he said.
The controversial issue of vernacular schools saw Petaling Jaya Utara Umno deputy division chief Mohamad Azli Mohamed recently proposing to discuss abolishing Chinese-medium schools at the party’s general assembly later this month, claiming the schools to be hotbeds for racism and anti-establishment sentiments.
The statement sparked a flurry of angry responses from Chinese leaders, with MCA party president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai demanding a police investigation to determine whether or not Mohamad Azli’s statement was seditious.
Najib however, said today that his administration has proven its commitment to Chinese vernacular education, having set aside RM50 million for Chinese primary schools and RM25 million for national-type Chinese secondary schools, but urged vernacular schools to return the favour.
Earlier Najib also said that the BN component parties need to close ranks in order to ensure political survival and longevity.
“To do that, we need to avoid political division and move forward with our agenda. If we can do that, then our bid to reinvigorate and reenergise the party will be achieved, “ he said.
