Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

November 24, 2018

Dong Zong and Jiao Zong are concerned about the cancellation of between RM3 billion to RM6 billion administration appropriation allocated to Universiti Tuanku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) yearly from the Budget 2019; instead, the government merely appropriates RM5.5 million development appropriation to the university thereafter. This decision may probably result in the raise of tuition fees accorded by the said university which directly influences students from middle or low-income families.

1. Dong Jiao Zong opines, attributed to the previous appropriation from the government, UTAR as a non-profit university could provide high quality and comparatively reasonable tertiary education to the nation. This appropriation indeed has allowed students from middle or low-income families to receive tertiary education at UTAR and contribute themselves profusely upon graduation. Yet, with the advent of the new government, the appropriation allocated towards UTAR drops tremendously, viz., only a RM5.5 million development appropriation to be allocated and thus may prompt a raise in tuition fees to break even its administration expenses. It not only brings in seminal impact but also is detrimental towards national education development.

2. The past decades which UTAR University College had gone through—from college to university college—indeed saw the successful nurture and provision of professionals of diverse sorts for the country disregard students’ political orientation and race. In this train of thought, Dong Jiao Zong urges the new government to abandon its political prejudice and adopt a more open approach towards the UTAR by continuously allowing administration appropriation for the production of more experts and professionals as well as the promotion of national education.

3. It is our resolute belief that education and politics should not cohere, in particular in the face of economic globalisation and the competition and challenges generated from information networking. In this trend, talents and polymaths are critical assets of any one nation and therefore the government needs to view tertiary education development from a macro aspect which is attainable by sponsoring both non-profit private and national institutions for the demands and needs of the country. Concurrently, Dong Jiao Zong likewise would like to urge the UTAR to expand its administration by inviting panel of experts from the Chinese community to enhance mutual corporation while striving superiority for itself.

4. Other than the mentioned, in matters of appropriation towards non-profit institutions like Han Chiang University College (Penang), Southern University College (Johor Bahru) and New Era University College (Kajang) accorded by the government, Dong Jiao Zong herewith expresses its heartfelt commendation for its open-mindedness and updated mindset while expecting systemised appropriation for private-run Chinese tertiary institutions to be in place sooner.

­­­Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

November 23, 2018

ICERD Ratification Refusal Lamented—

Government is Expected to Promote Communications for Social Worries Elimination

Dong Zong and Jiao Zong lamented over the government’s refusal to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). Here is their joint statement responding to the stance.

1. ICERD was approved in 1965 by the United Nation and was formally put into practice the following year. As of January 2018, 179 countries had ratified the convention worldwide. Though it is one of the most ratified human rights conventions, currently 14 countries inclusive of Malaysia still refuse the ratification. The ICERD commits its members to the elimination of racial discrimination and the promotion of understanding among all races. It also requires its parties to outlaw hate speech and criminalise membership in racist organisations, among others.

2. Dong Jiao Zong regrets over the government’s refusal to ratify the ICERD. We believe the government needs to ratify this convention as a gesture to show amenable commitment towards human rights as well as to be part of the practice which is believed to help in the promotion and improvement of human rights understanding in our country. With this knowledge, we urge the new government to ratify the said convention to show its determination and sincerity to make Malaysia a fair, well governed, incorrupt and legal nation.

3. Nonetheless, since there are misunderstandings and disputes on the said convention at a societal level, the government is urged to eliminate them proactively by consolidating communicative exchanges and engaging public views. This way, the government will be able to collect and refer to public views and reach consensus for the prevention of deformation of this well intended act.

4. In the Pakatan Harapan’s Election Manifesto, a Civic Harmony Consultation Council was promised as a platform for the elimination of racial conflicts and policy formation. Dong Jiao Zong beseeches the government to establish this council as soon as possible and forward this ICERD ratification for discussion in the to-be-established council. The significance of the council is twofold, firstly, to cohere common understanding for equality and secondly, to strive together for harmonious advancement.

Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

November 13, 2018

Dong Zong and Jiao Zong regret to be informed by the Minister of Education Dr Maszlee in the cabinet questioning session that if national-type schools are unable to afford their operation, maintenance and infrastructure expenses by themselves per se, they are always entitled to apply to be national schools for full and steady government funding.

1. Over the decades, the government has categorised schools with school lot ownership belonging to the federal government as “Full Subsidy School” and otherwise as “Half Subsidy School”. Indeed, we reckon these two terms were coined by the Education Ministry officials which are unfair towards vernacular schools (Chinese and Tamil), catholic schools, national-type schools and they are essentially browsing the power of relevant school boards slowly.

2. Moreover, either it is in the “Education Act 1957”, “Education Act 1961” or “Education Act 1996”, the terms “Full Subsidy School” and “Half Subsidy School” do not exist. In the “Education Act 1996”, there are three types of schools in Malaysia education system, namely, National School, National-type School and Private School. National-type schools are granted grant-in-aid and capital grant, or otherwise known as administration and development appropriations. Capital Grant is appropriated from Public Fund to the schools which are solely for school building construction, maintenance or expansion of dormitory, furniture and facilities or other specific expenses involved; whereas Grant-in-aid refers to all other appropriations allocated from Public Fund to the schools besides Capital Grant. On that score, the government has the obligation to release both Capital Grant and Grant-in-aid to all national-type schools and should not instead request the schools to show the entitlement of school lot ownership to qualify for the appropriation.

3. “Full Subsidy School” and “Half Subsidy School” are the creations of the former government. Immediately after the election this year, the Pakatan Harapan government was given the mandate to govern and it is the expectation of the general public that the new government should practice disparate governance to bring forward a brighter future and reform improper policies and measures for fair treatment towards all vernacular schools. We wish that the government would ensure fair treatment for national or national-type schools and be obliged for equal administration and development appropriation and not to take advantage of appropriation to turn national-type schools with financial difficulties into national schools. We deem it only fair for the government to view all streams of schools equally and develop, affirm and commend them for their bid in education and the production of polymaths for the country disregard whether their school lots belong to the federal government, state government, school boards, catholic church or private sector as they are all institutions for education within the national education system.

4. According to the “Education Act 1996”, all vernacular schools (Malay, Chinese and Tamil), catholic schools, transformed schools, etc. must have their own school boards. The Act also regulates that the government bears the obligation to afford their administration and development expenses. As such, we expect the new government on the horizon to earnestly shoulder the responsibility by fairly appropriate and develop these schools and not to practice the “Full Subsidy School” and “Half Subsidy School” measures implemented by the former government which in essence aims to turn national-type schools into national schools.

5. We herewith caution all Chinese vernacular schools and reformed schools not to apply to be “national schools” to avoid their school boards from being browsed gradually and their unique characteristics distorted or worse still, disappeared

Statement and Declaration Released by Dong Zong

November 4, 2018

Appropriation for MICSS in Budget 2019 Commended—

Fair Treatment for All Vernacular Schools Urged

1. In the Budget 2019, 60.2 billion was appropriated to the MOE which is 19.1 percent out of the total appropriation sum and thus it is actually the most allocated ministry. It verily translates the new government’s realisation of the crucial role education plays in the promotion of commercial competitiveness and citizen quality. We welcome and commend this constructive act knowing deep down the appropriation on education reform as an investment will only be fruitful as ascribed when the execution power of the government is resolute.

2. In matters of appropriation, we are overjoyed and exalted by the first ever Budget appropriation of 12 million to all independent Chinese secondary schools nationwide. Notwithstanding the sum of 12 million, comparatively it is a meagre sum in the face of annual deficit shouldered by all independent Chinese secondary schools nationally. Yet this compassionate act is heartily appreciated while the country is experiencing financial difficulty. But we wish that this move would be the first step of systemised appropriation, a good start, which would augur well in years to come for all independent Chinese secondary schools when the government’s financial situation finally rebounds.

3. The appropriation pronouncement indicates that the new government is willing to provide all vernacular schools with fairer treatment. We hope this attitude will be engaged by the Pakatan Harapan government while addressing problems faced by all streams and vernacular schools and systemise the appropriation at a much fairer level. We also hope that the government will schedule a meeting with us Dong Zong to deliberate the next course of actions and formulate appropriation criteria.

4. Past experience informs us that the appropriation provided by the government towards national-type schools is inconsistent; at times, several rounds of negotiations or charettes had to be staged by the Chinese community for the release of the appropriation accordingly. As a matter of fact, the 15 billion Budget appropriation towards independent Chinese secondary schools is wished to be a yearly systemised allocation for national-type secondary schools.

5. Further, it is also noted that the new government will specifically appropriate 3 billion for vocational education fund and another 2 billion for youth vocational training fund. Inspired by the ongoing, we would remind the Chinese community to keep an eye on its follow-ups and show solicitude for its relevant development closely.

6. In matters of budget appropriation, we believe there is still room for improvement in terms of education appropriation; for instance, in the Budget, 21 billion will be appropriated to Bumiputera education and human resource, though justifiable from the aspect of vulnerable Malay groups, there is no relative appropriation for other ethnic groups and thus unfair in resource distribution. In addition, the donations towards national institutions are exempt from taxation whereas donations funding privately run institutions such as independent Chinese secondary schools are otherwise requested to apply individually for exemption.

Statement and Declaration Released by Dong Zong

October 17, 2018

Dong Zong Is Against Full and Half Subsidy Provisions—

Prompt Response to SJK (C) Chung Ching’s Branch Application Urged

The Deputy Minister of Education Teo Nie Ching announced in the cabinet meeting that the branch Kuantan National-type Chung Ching Chinese Primary School must firstly apply to be a Full Subsidy School before the MOE can settle its branch and main school’s administrative matter concurrently. In response to this, Dong Zong herewith forwards its statement and declaration as follows:

1. The branch Kuantan National-type Chung Ching Chinese Primary School was established in 1999 before the election after having been approved by the former government. Going through much obstacles, it was formally opened in 2013. Since there is a distance between the main and branch Kuantan National-type Chung Ching Chinese Primary School, the sole headmaster from the main school found it exhausting attending to the administration of the two schools. On that score, the Chung Ching Primary School Board wished its branch school could be approved as Chung Ching 2^nd Primary School such that it could operate within individual administration, that is, owning its headmaster, teachers and staff.

2. According to “Education Act 1996”, there are three types of schools in Malaysia education system, namely, National School, National-type School and Private School. The categorisation of these three types of schools has nothing to do with its entitlement of school lot ownership. By and large, we understand that “National School” is not “Full Subsidy School” and “National-type School” is not “Half Subsidy School” either.

3. The intent of the Chung Ching Primary School Board of Directors to term its branch school as Chung Ching 2^nd Primary School does not in any way correlate with the so-called school lot ownership or “Full Subsidy/Half Subsidy”. We hence conclude, to categorise schools as Full Subsidy or Half Subsidy based on the entitlement of school lot ownership is verily the self-customised measure of violation accorded by the MOE officials. As such, the Deputy Minister of Education Teo Nie Ching should not take advantage of the “Napoleon’s” measure to make things difficult for the said school to apply for the status of its branch. History shows that there were schools with branch and were eventually approved to have the schools divided into main and branch. We beseech the Deputy Minister of Education Teo Nie Ching to look into the case closely such that the mentioned branch school can be approved as Chung Ching 2^nd Primary School shortly.