KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 — Datuk Jamal Md Yunos, a spokesman for the controversial “red shirts” rally on September 16, said Malaysia needs to adopt a single stream education system to prevent unrest in the future, although he did not specify his language of choice.
The Sungai Besar Umno division chief said it was time that younger generation Malaysians learned to mingle with those of other races, which he said would help them understand each other’s language and culture.
“Let our children go under one roof from young so they can understand the culture, language and when they become adults, they can interpret what they learn since young, they can share and understand each other, unlike today,” he said in an interview on Chinese news portal www.pocketimes.my that was streamed live last night.
He said many ethnic Chinese children grow up without ever learning to speak Bahasa Malaysia, citing as example his experience when the offspring of his friend visited him during his recent Hari Raya open house.
Jamal said his own child, who is only three, is currently at a multi-racial school where even Mandarin is also taught.
He also said Chinese-based political parties should get together and seriously discuss the possibility of introducing a single stream education system, much like in Singapore and Indonesia.
“I worry with the current education system, our country will not be peaceful anymore in 10, 20, maybe 50 years. We have been independent for 58 years and yet today, we are concerned that racial tension is simmering,” he said.
Jamal first entered the spotlight as a spokesmen and one of the organisers of the racially-charged “red shirts” rally on September 16, which is also Malaysia Day.
The main objective of the rally was to oppose the Bersih 4 protest late last month, which called for free and fair elections, as well as for the resignation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, among other demands.
The Umno man was arrested overnight last Friday under Section 105 of the Criminal Procedure Code after he allegedly warned of a repeat rally on the weekend that could lead to a possible riot at Petaling Street.
He made headlines again yesterday after a local daily quoted him as saying he is planning another mass rally in Kajang to protest against PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also the Kajang assemblyman over her failure in solving her constituency’s woes.
So far, Umno has yet to take any disciplinary action against him, with Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin saying the management committee will “act accordingly” if the police find any criminal element in his case.
