Vernacular schools will remain, reassures Najib

KOTA KINABALU: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Sunday reassured that the Barisan Nasional (BN) government will ensure Chinese schools, which are part of vernacular schools, will remain part of the education system in the country.He said the Government has no problem to let Chinese education to continue as an education option for the people.

"What is wrong in emphasising on the learning of 'Bahasa Kebangsaan' and to speak the language well and proficiently, and not speaking 'bahasa pasar'.

" I want to tell you that in fact the Chinese government gave me an officer who is proficient in Bahasa…a Chinese from its foreign affair office who had studied Bahasa Melayu or Bahasa Kebangsaan to a level to be proficient.

"And if the emphasis on Bahasa Kebangsaan in Chinese schools and the Malays also learn Mandarin language… then what is wrong with it?" he asked.

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Najib said this in his speech when opening the 25th LDP Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Magellan Sutera Harbour, here, Sunday.

Also present were Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Datuk Teo Chee Kang, Umno Vice President Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, heads and representatives of Barisan Nasional component parties, State Cabinet members and other officials.

Najib gave the assurance in response to Teo who had in his speech earlier touched on the call by a Petaling Jaya Umno leader to abolish vernacular schools.

Teo said the composition of Chinese schools in Sabah is very unique with a high percentage of Bumiputera Muslim and non-Muslim students studying in these schools, especially in the rural areas.

In fact, he said many Bumiputera parents including professional ones prefer to send their children to Chinese schools that can described as a 'melting pot' as the children become friends although they come from different backgrounds.

Hence, Teo said the allegation that Chinese schools sow seeds of racism among the children is totally not true.

Meanwhile, Teo said there is a need for the Barisan Nasional (BN) to be more cohesive in order to face the next general election.

He said it is imperative for all component parties to do so as to win back the seats that they have lost in the last general election.

He said the BN's strength is founded on the premise of mutual respect, consensus and power sharing among different component parties representing their respective communities.

"Although most of us are communal based parties, BN is an institution that is multi-racial.

Big or small, every one of the 13 component parties has a place in the coalition.

"In the recent Teluk Intan by-election, the right candidate, right strategies as well as the true synergy among the component parties contributed to the victory of BN.

"It is proven that if BN can capitalise its institutional strength in full, we can win back seats which we lost. It is therefore vital for the coalition to be more cohesive as a partnership to face the 14th General Election," he said.

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Teo, who is also State Special Tasks Minister, also urged all LDP leaders to pick up the momentum in serving the people, especially in the four constituencies and one parliamentary seat which were entrusted to them in the previous elections.

"We won three State seats and suffered a defeat in the Sandakan Parliament and Likas State seats. I promise that our candidates will be those who stand the best chance to deliver for BN in the respective seats," he said.

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