Education Minister must review the one-language policy,27.5.2007.

DAP National Deputy Chairman and MP for Kepong Dr Tan Seng Giaw proposes that the Education Minister Dato' Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein reviews the language policy and get rid of the one-language policy. Besides Bahasa Malaysia, he should encourage the teaching of English, Mandarin and Tamil. Stop sending those teachers who don't speak Mandarin to Chinese schools.

Dr Tan spoke at the hall of the Serdang Primary Chinese School (1) duirng the 40th Anniversary of the DAP Serdang Branch dinner on 26 May, 2007.

Tonight, the Dong Jiao Zhong (the Joint Chinese School Boards and Teachers' Associations) has a 5,000 people dinner in Kajang with special atmosphere. If Hisham were to be there, he would have had an impression that would spur him to adopt a more enlightened education policy.

In the last few days, the media carry reports of the Education Minister having a week-long study tour of educational institutions of China. He says that the Chinese people place the national interest above individual or racial interest, leading to the success of China. We can learn from this. China's educational sentiment is above all other considerations.

" China does not allow controversial issues to cause schism, so much so that today, international society recognizes China's economic development and her ability to lead," he added.

We don't know how long can China keep up the pace. This depends on the efforts of the Chinese.

We wish that after his return from China, Hisham will consider carefully the better ways to plan and implement our education policy, treating schools of all streams fairly. If he were to give a new national school RM 2 million and a new Chinese school RM 20,000, then he must have one eye biggter than the other. How does he expect all races to feel? The Education Minister should get a new pair of glasses that ensure that the sight from both eyes is the same.

We have achieved Merdeka for 50 years. The Government prattles on the one-language policy. In 1982, this was highlighted in the Royal Address. Now, Hisham should review this policy and replace it with an enlightened policy on languages. True, all Malaysians must be proficient in BM. But, let us have a more sensible policy on English, Mandarin and Tamil.

Dr Tan Seng Giaw