SHAH ALAM, Dec 7 — The Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) Youth wing has urged education stakeholders like the United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) to adopt a more rational and objective mindset when making demands in education policies.
Youth wing delegate Shazni Munir Ithnin said Dong Zong should consider looking at the ‘bigger picture’ instead of getting too caught up with demands they have voiced recently.
“We want to ask that Dong Zong look education on an international level instead of what is often being argued over today.
“Otherwise we are worried that racial problems could worsen compared to what it is at present,” he said when debating the policy speech at the party’s national convention here today.
Last week, Dong Zong chairman Tan Tai Kim reportedly said the group was adamant that the school’s board of directors must be given the right to decide whether Jawi calligraphy should be taught to pupils.
Tan said the position of SJKCs board of directors must be respected.
At the moment, Tan said that SJKC boards of directors have yet to be included among decision-makers in introducing khat as part of the syllabus.
The Education Ministry had in July announced the introduction of khat in the Bahasa Melayu subject for Year Four students beginning next year.
The announcement however upset various groups, which resulted in the Ministry allowing teachers in schools to decide whether they want to teach the Jawi calligraphy to pupils.
Shazni also suggested for the party to pressure the government to increase the number of parliamentary and state seats by 2023.
He said this will address the overwhelming presence of youth voters now that the voting age has been lowered to 18.
“It is expected that 22.7 million voters will cast their votes in 2023. With the existing number of MPs and assemblymen, we view that these people’s representatives will not be able to the needs of constituents.
“This will also increase the efficiency and improve delivering process of MPs and assemblyman,” he said.
Shazni claimed that at present, rural areas especially are neglected due to overwhelming constituents in a single parliamentary area.
