Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

October 30, 2021

No Mention of Appropriation for Some Schools in Budget 2022—

Speedier Disclosure of Appropriation Details to Disambiguate Urged

In response to Budget 2022 submitted by the Minister of Finance Tengku Zafrul Aziz on 29 October regarding budget on education in the House of Representatives, Dong Zong and Jiao Zong herewith distinctively posit themselves in this joint statement:

1. To begin with, Dong Jiao Zong had proposed to the government in regard to Budget 2022 of the federal government on 7 October this year subsuming the following seven suggestions:

• To equally treat government and non-government schools on the release of appropriation sum;
• To provide appropriation for Independent Chinese Secondary Schools;
• To provide appropriation for three privately-run higher education institutions;
• To redress inadequate treatment by unifying the subsidy for electric and water bills, sewage and telephone bills for government and non-government schools alike;
• To establish anti COVID-19 special fund for all schools for the prevention of COVID-19 pandemic;
• To increase appropriation to enhance the use of Information and Communications Technology in education in bid to all-inclusively boost teaching effect; and
• To waiver taxation from non-profit private organisations and education institutions as well as contribution for Human Resource Development Fund.

Yet to our disappointment, all the proposals above were not taken seriously or adapted in Budget 2022.

2.  In both Budget 2021 and 2022, the total sum of appropriation released to the Ministry of Education increases from RM50 billion 358.49 million to RM52 billion 625.06 million; in which the development appropriation surges to a new high of RM5 billion 34.13 million from RM3 billion 87.55 million with an increase of RM1 billion 946.58 million or accounts for 63 percent (Table 1). This evidently shows that the government is determined to appropriate heavily for school development or hardware construction, in particular to assist schools in dilapidation and disrepair which is creditable. But we think the fund needs to be fairly appropriated to all streams of schools with transparent disclosure of benefited schools, total sum and projects, etc.

3. Notwithstanding the education development appropriation increases tremendously in Budget 2022, there is no mention of whether appropriation will continuously be released to Catholic, national-type, independent Chinese secondary schools and the three privately-run higher institutions (Southern University College, New Era University College and Han Chiang University College of Communication), including the appropriation for newly constructed and relocated vernacular Chinese primary schools (Table 2 and 3). Moreover, there is likewise no mention of whether RM5,000 will be granted to government-aided schools monthly. We understand that in the annual Budget, no listing or mention of appropriation for some schools is not the first time ever and has since generated disputes. Dong Jiao Zong believes, doubts on the above need to be clarified and explained as well as including appropriation for schools or education institutions of this category in the yearly Budget. In addition, we also hope that the government will unfold and decode the whereabouts of the total sum of RM20 million intended for the construction and relocation of vernacular primary Chinese schools, along with its progress and expenses or whether it has been cancelled eventually in Budget 2020.

4.  In Budget 2022, RM120 million is released to vernacular Chinese and Tamil primary schools which is RM15.95 million more in comparison to RM104.05 million released in Budget 2021. In retrospect, in Budget 2018, 2019 and 2020, some of the vernacular Chinese and Tamil primary schools had received RM120 million in total, namely, RM50 million for school maintenance and development given to both Chinese and Tamil primary schools and RM20 million released to Chinese primary schools for school construction and relocation. Obviously, there is no mention of appropriation for school construction and relocation given to Chinese primary schools in both Budget 2021 and 2022. We believe, the government is obliged to include this construction appropriation in the annual Budget to ensure sufficient fund for these schools to complete their construction project sooner.

5. Despite the above, we welcome the section in Budget 2022 which is beneficial to B40 student group where school opening subsidy is increased to RM150 for each student, and RM2,500 tax exemption for parents who purchased computer for internet use as well as RM100 allowance for each teacher.

6. Regarding the slow execution and unfair treatment towards the distribution of laptops to 150 thousand students from 500 schools nationwide where RM150 million was appropriated in Budget 2021, the government needs to take it as a lesson and make improvements. In similar vein, the government needs to ensure that the project which distributes ipads to 600 thousand college students of B40 family category which costs RM450 million assigned in Budget 2022 will be executed in a transparent, fast, noncorrupt and effective manner. Moreover, the laptops should be suitable and safe and not in poor quality, let alone distributing them fairly to needy students regardless of their ethnic group.

Table 1: Appropriation in RM for the Ministry of Education in Budget 2021 and 2022

Table 2: Development Appropriation in RM for All types of Schools in Budget 2012 and 2022

Note：

• In Budget 2012 and 2013, school development, promotion and maintenance fund were established, RM100 million was released to all vernacular Chinese primary schools nationwide. The RM50 million appropriation for vernacular Chinese primary categorised as ‘half subsidy schools’ was for the purpose of school maintenance and promotion; whereas, in Budget 2021 and 2022, the school maintenance and promotion appropriation were released to all vernacular Chinese primary schools.
• RM800 million was released to the MOE for the purpose of school maintenance and promotion in Budget 2021; in which, RM620 million was intended for schools under the administration of MOE for maintenance and promotion purposes, that is, RM478.68 million (477.48 million +1.2 million) for national primary (n=5624+18) and national-type secondary, full boarding schools as well as vocational college (n=2,070+4); RM74.07 million for 1,300 vernacular Chinese primary schools nationwide (416 full subsidy schools received RM25.82 million, 884 half subsidy schools received RM48.25 million); RM29.98 million for vernacular Tamil primary schools (n=162+365); RM4.11 million for national-type secondary (n=9+65); RM20.94 million for Catholic schools (n=12+370); RM12.23 million for government-aided religious schools (n=224).
• On 26 November and 3 December 2020, the Minister of Finance Tengku Zafrul Aziz disclosed in the parliament that through subsection B11 in Budget 2020, an extra RM100 million is released to the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia for three types of religious schools (Sekolah Tahfiz, Sekolah Pondok Berdaftar and Sekolah Agama Rakyat). On 11 October 2021, the Minister of Finance claimed that RM100 million had been successfully released to four types of religious schools rather, meaning, ‘Sekolah Agama Persendirian’ was later included for appropriation.
• On 22 December 2020, the Minister of Finance Tengku Zafrul Aziz revealed in the parliament that there was no appropriation to be released to independent Chinese secondary schools (ICSS) nationwide in Budget 2021. Despite not listed in Budget 2021, RM15 million was released to all independent Chinese secondary schools and Kuantan Chong Hwa High School in September 2021 subsequently.
• Besides appropriation released in Budget 2018, the Patakan Harapan government also appropriated an extra RM20 million for school construction and relocation for vernacular Chinese primary schools. In Budget 2019 and 2020, a yearly appropriation of RM20 million was granted to vernacular Chinese primary schools for school construction and relocation; moreover, beneficiary schools and the total sum were publicly disclosed in both Budget 2018 and 2019. Yet in Budget 2021 submitted by the Perikatan Nasional government, there was no appropriation for school construction and relocation for vernacular Chinese primary schools. In addition, the pronounced appropriation for school construction and promotion for vernacular Chinese primary in Budget 2020 has not been received and no details updated thus far.
• Apart from enjoying regular yearly electric and water bills appropriation, in Budget 2020, an extra RM12 million was releasable to half subsidy schools, including vernacular Chinese primary and national-type secondary for electric and water bills as well as sewage bills upon application.
• On 29 October 2021, the Minister of Finance Tengku Zafrul Aziz submitted Budget 2022 in the House of Representatives and announced that RM1 billion is appropriated for the purpose of school maintenance and promotion; in which, RM40 million is appropriated to the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia for Sekolah Tahfiz, Sekolah Pondok Berdaftar and Sekolah Agama Rakyat for renovation; RM120 million for all vernacular Chinese and Tamil primary schools ; RM746 million for renovation released to schools in east Malaysia—112 projects to be undertaken in Sabah and 165 in Sarawak respectively.

Table 3: Appropriation for Three Privately-run Higher Education Institutions

Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

October 29, 2021

Dong Zong and Jiao Zong were perturbed to learn that the ongoing school construction of Puchong SJK(C) Too Joon Hing was instructed to halt by the Secretary General of the MOE sine explanation. With the deepest regret, Dong Zong and Jiao Zong forward their joint statement herewith:

1. Dong Jiao Zong understands that the construction of Puchong SJK(C) Too Joon Hing was approved by the MOE in October 2017, which was one of the ten new Chinese primary schools to be constructed. Currently, construction is underway and it is scheduled to be completed in 2023 for the benefits of the students. Yet a directive letter was issued to the school authority on 25 October 2021 unexpectedly by Yusran Shah Mohd Yusof, the Secretary General of the Education Ministry, to stop the construction without explanation, to the deepest regret and perturbance of Dong Jiao Zong.

2. As per the Deputy Education Minister Mah Hang Soon’s response when interviewed by journalist, this act of the ministry was said to reassess all the data and documents submitted by SJK(C) Too Joon Hing to clarify if the current location of the school fits into the standard operation procedure. Dong Jiao Zong reckons from the very outset, SJK(C) Too Joon Hing had been approved to construct, change the construction location and start construction congruent with the standard operation procedure approved and formulated by the previous MOE. Therefore, the halt of the ongoing construction out of the blue is unintelligible and irrational which leaves the school authority in limbo hence revealing the unprofessionalism of the MOE.

3. With this understanding, Dong Jiao Zong urges the MOE to address the matter immediately to ensure smooth construction of the said primary school for the interest of national education. In actual fact, since the approval of the construction, the construction project of SJK(C) Too Joon Hing has been postponed for four consecutive years, and now that the agreement is broken unexpectedly. Truth be told, Chinese communities fear that the construction project would not be completed as scheduled which is what most people hate to see.

4. Ten new vernacular Chinese primary schools were approved to be built in October 2017, though several approved schools have not begun their construction until today; one of these schools, Tan Kah Kee Chinese primary school’s construction permit was transferred to SJK(C) Chung Ching clandestinely in December 2018 to be SJK(C) Chung Ching 2. This translates, the ten schools have been reduced to nine thus far. Now that the construction of SJK(C) Too Joon Hing has again experienced twists and turns which accelerates the difficulty of the problem, particularly the opaque decision of the government which will surely give rise to discontentment among the Chinese communities.

5. Dong Jiao Zong maintains, the additional construction of vernacular Chinese primary schools has long been the sole hope of the Chinese communities to address the insufficiency of Chinese primary schools. Since independence, vernacular Chinese primary schools have been part of the main stream education system. That said, the government has the obligation to unify the school construction system and treat schools of other streams equally, let alone to be fully responsible for all construction expenses and the reservation of school land for school construction of all streams formally, Chinese and Tamil inclusive, in order to solve the school construction matter once and for all.

Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

October 8, 2021

Cyberbullying towards Female Decried—

Speedier Gender Equality Legislation Urged

The video footage Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam posted online was recently montaged with obscene visuals and misused by the splenetic; it happens that Ain Husniza posted a clip on the net revealing the sexual bullying towards her by a male teacher in April at her school. Truth be told, this montage has gone viral for some time now. Dong Jiao Zong strongly decries this female-abuse cyberbullying and calls for barrack support from all sectors as well as urging the government to provide the victim with well-timed protection and assistance by forwarding the ‘Sexual Harassment Prevention Act’ in the parliament for approval sooner.

This is not the first time Ain Husniza has ever been cyberbullied; honestly, it evidences the lack of gender equality awareness in our society and worse still, the society is indifferent towards the employment of obscene video to attack whistleblower in the education domain. We back the victim and opine she should seek deterrent legal action as this malicious act is intolerable in a civilized society and must be decried blatantly. Generally, females are prone to be sexually intimidated despite courageous disclosures of sexual harassment in school campus, sports domain and office. But we regret to witness perfunctory settlement in general. This desultory approach factually takes no action against the suspect, instead it indirectly allows the perpetrator to demand monetary compensation or pressurize the victim in bid to achieve the gagging effect.

Ever since Ain Husniza had exposed the raping banter of the male teacher on social media, she has become the attack target of many netizens, let alone the menace from her teacher (perpetrator) demanding compensation, together with raping threats from her classmates. Soon after the submission of the investigation report to the chief prosecutor by the police, Ain’s case was adjudicated on June 8 yet no prosecution ensued. On 28 April, the MOE promised to look into the case yet after more than six months no progress has been seen. Obviously, the ‘Sexual Harassment Prevention Act’ has not been proactively introduced in the parliament by the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development. Since no measures are taken to address Ain’s case by the prosecutor, the MOE as well as the said Ministry, nothing can hardly absolve them from all the blame for the ongoings.

Eyeballing the happenings, we strongly urge the government to take a ‘zero tolerance’ position for sexual harassment by putting the ‘Sexual Harassment Prevention Act’ and ‘Gender Equality Act’ in practice; these Acts indeed can uplift women’s rights and welfare from gender suppression institutionally. We believe more women and children can avoid violence and enjoy dignity as well as equal life merely through legislation and stringent enforcement of the law, along with the establishment of anti-sexual harassment mechanism at societal level.

Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

August 27, 2021

To Finish off Uncomplete Tasks of Previous Tenure Urged—

Dong Jiao Zong Prompts MOE to complete with Concerted Effort

Immediate after the announcement of the new cabinet line-up, we opine the major tasks to be tackled by the new Prime Minister Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob comprise economic recovery, the narrowing of gap between the rich and the poor as well as facing up to educational challenges. As the former Education Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin and Deputy Minister Mah Hang Soon are reassuming the same posts in this cabinet line-up, they are expected to come up with post-pandemic teaching plans and finish off the tasks scheduled in their last tenure besides mapping a succinct school reopening plan; these uncomplete tasks include the additional recruitment of teachers in vernacular primary Chinese schools and the mechanism for gender equality in school campus, etc.

Weighing on the raging pandemic, we maintain that the school reopening plan is intended for both pandemic prevention and students’ learning needs. With regard to the school reopening plan, considerations should take locations, educators and parent representatives into account; concurrently, regional units need to be empowered in congruence with the MOE guidelines for decision on closure and reopening of schools depending on diverse situation. Simultaneously, we strongly recommend the MOE to refer to the Framework for Reopening School published by the UNESCO lately for upcoming implementation.

We herewith forward our proposals proper:

1. School teachers to get vaccinated: The Perikatan Nasional government had promised to prioritise all teachers in both national and private schools (MICSSs inclusive) nationwide to get vaccinated against COVID-19, yet no update is announced by the new MOE thus far. Apart from teachers, we believe candidates sitting for level promotion examination this year need to get vaccinated earlier, including school staff, general affairs workers, security guards and canteen operators. More importantly, whether students aged from 12 to 17 are to receive vaccination should be finalised shortly.

2. Redress of inequality in education: The MOE should publish whether the 150 thousand laptops promised by the former Perikatan Nasional government to students from low-income families are properly dispatched. As there is disparity between rural and urban areas in living condition, the MOE needs to prevent the worsening of education inequality prevailing rural areas through online classes, educational TV channels and radio broadcasts. Moreover, subject exercises in hard-copy and supplementary learning materials need to be sent to unreachable TV and radio coverage regions and aboriginal areas in order to alleviate lagging learning progress and intensified educational inequality imputed to school closure.

3. Concern for teachers’ spiritual and physical health and track learning effectiveness: The closure of schools impacts students’ learning progress, in particular socioeconomically underprivileged students; they are feared to lag behind attributed to sustaining school closure and may lose interest in studies or worse still, drop out from schools. Similarly, teachers will be stressed out by the new teaching model. To address the issue, the MOE is urged to establish a long-term tracking system to keep tabs on students’ learning as well as introducing relevant remedied measures to provide stress relieving counselling for both teachers and students timely.

4. To finish off uncomplete tasks of previous tenure: In terms of Chinese education issues like the systematic appropriation for MICSSs and three privately-run tertiary institutions, the shortage of teachers in vernacular Chinese primary schools as well as the recognition of the UEC, there is ample room for the late Perikatan Nasional government to make improvement. Hitherto the MOE has not released the report of the gender bullying case took place at school, let alone the remedied mechanism for gender equality in school campus. It is reckoned the digital gap generated by distance teaching practised during the pandemic has impacted the learning right of students in rural region; inevitably, the MOE and the Ministry of Higher Learning are expected to resolve the matter by optimising the infrastructure of internet. These unfinished tasks left by the former MOE need to be finished off by the reappointed ministers with concerted effort in the new cabinet line-up.

Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

August 12, 2021

School Reopening Decision Way Too Coarse—

MOE’s Review of Implementation Urged

Dong Jiao Zong reckons it hasty in the phasic school reopening announcement made by the MOE which begs for sound and preparatory plan, thus an immediate review and rectification is urged.

The MOE had pronounced in mid July 2021 that all schools nationwide should reopen in stages from 1^st September onwards. Now that the deadline is approaching, all teachers and parents expect a substantial explanation. In fact, despite the ravaging COVID-19 and surging of cases each day, measures and schedules decided by the MOE officials have not been publicly pronounced.

Factually, since the school reopening directive was announced by the MOE, doubts have been formed among the general public. Yet the MOE has not taken the initiative to forward any substantial measures and preparatory plans. Contrarily, only belated announcement was made by the MOE recently requesting all state school supervisors across the country to collect views from primary six, secondary three and five student parents randomly on the September school reopening. Obviously, ever since the announcement of the September school reopening in July, the MOE has not followed up and communicated with party concerned, let alone seeking views from educational organisations for a blanket plan which addresses school safety and teaching progress.

Judging from the responses toward the COVID-19 pandemic as well as execution power, the MOE is stereotypically believed to fall short of expectations as it is not the first incident ever. Last year, for instance, the delayed dispatch of 150 laptops promised to B40 families was denounced widely. Moreover, the ‘Lost Generation’ issue resulting from the raging pandemic was also cautioned by educationists successively. Educationists believe that enduring school closure detrimentally affects learning progress and effect, in particular students from underprivileged families as they need more resources and supports. Since students are grounded at home mandatorily for a long period—lacking social interactions, recreations and physical exercises—their mental and physical health will be affected consequently. Unfortunately, no remedied measures were raised by the MOE actively and initiatively in response.

We posit, the MOE needs to replace their pessimistic and closed-door attitude with a proactive one which initiatively communicates and listens to public views. In addition, the MOE is expected to clearly explain their policy vision and implementation details.

Prevailing social-economic issues like unsuccessful handling of pandemic, commercial depression, parliament session suspension and instable political situation exhibit the impotence of Perikatan Nasional government in governance. In reality, the power struggle indulgence of the political parties and want of sound managerial plan have pushed the general public into troubled waters, including the price heavily paid in the educational domain. We therefore urge officials of the MOE to bravely shoulder their responsibilities during this trying period to show crisis management leadership and not to muddle on habitually making coarse decision.

Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

August 5, 2021

MOE to Look into Sexual Bullying in Schools Urged—

Child and Women Rights Assurance Must Be in Place

Dong Jiao Zong herein urges the MOE to promptly disclose the investigation progress of the recent sexual bullying case happened in school and advises the teacher concerned to confront the investigation calmly by dropping the slander lawsuit against his female student, the whistle blower Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam. In actual fact, Malaysia as a contracting nation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, needs to review its extant enactments and should not be indifferent towards the rights of children and women in bid to bridge the world by observing international conventions.

Herewith, we urge the teacher concerned to exhibit ethical discipline and professionalism by dropping his charge against Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam for her ‘defamatory’ video clip. We believe, the teacher should instead reflect on his inappropriate utterances and apologises for the harm caused to the student. Concurrently, the MOE is urged to look into the case seriously by formulating remedied plan and mechanism as Ain’s case is merely the tip of the iceberg. By the same token, it is also to promote gender equality awareness thus creating a safe and healthy learning environment for students; rather, to prevent them from becoming the next victim in destructive gender bias culture.

Immediately after the exposure of the ‘Ain incident’, though Radzi Jidin, the Education Minister, promised to look into the case on 28 April, no disclosure of investigation reports was seen after several days or, more precisely, any measures forwarded on the improvement of gender equality to deter sexual bullying in schools. However, the All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) had unexpectedly managed to collect 275 allegations of sexual bullying in schools within ten days after the incident. The data reveal the worrying state of school harassment and rife sexual bullying in Malaysian schools. Weighing on this, we believe the MOE should look into it seriously by forming an independent investigation unit on sexual bullying in schools for the prevention of child sexual abuse.

In this era viewing child rights as a common understanding, besides professional competent, a teacher should adhere to human rights guidelines. Rather, all educators should be informed on the basic spirit and principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. We suggest the MOE should refer to the gender equality observation report for 2021 submitted by Asia-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW) which concludes the want of improvement in gender education in Malaysian schools. Their proposals additionally include the building of gender equality awareness for teachers, the learning of human rights and gender equality for school authority and the imminent review of existing counselling system and quality in schools.

In our opinion, only a government which truly feels for child and woman victims and bravely shoulders the obligation can then be mandated on the safeguard of children and women safety. Since Malaysia is a contracting nation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, it bears the obligation and responsibility to assure and uphold gender equality as well as basic child rights and respect. As such, incident like Ain and others should not have happened in the first place. We understand that all the sexual bullying cases in schools compromise the healthy development of children and the status of women stated in the said conventions. Further, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child likewise assures the freedom of speech for many a student. Therefore, the disciplinary prosecution resorted to by the school against the child speaking for her rights obviously gives rise to incorrectness.