Only education system that is accepted by all races will succeed.

DAP National Deputy Chairman and MP for Kepong Dr Tan Seng Giaw maintains that only the education system that is accepted by all races in the country can be sucessfully implemented.

The Barnes Committee 1951 and the Razak Report 1956 recommended one education system with Bahasa Malaysia (BM) as the medium of instruction. This has not been accepted by all races. Hence, the present education system evolves.

Dr Tan was in the House on 1 December, 2008, when MP for Jerlun, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir raised the issue of one education system again, based on national spirit for uniting the people and avoiding racial polarization in the country.

This means that schools of all streams are absolved into one system with BM as the medium except the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English.


Mukhriz says:"Definitely, it is compulsory for pupils to learn their mother tongue, that is, Mandarin for Chinese and Tamil for Indians. Further, under this system, Malay pupils can choose to learn other languages such as Mandarin and Tamil."

He reminds that a national education system is practised in 99% of the countries in the world, and this transworld pattern should then be a practice in Malaysia.

Muhkriz stands for election as Umno Youth Chief. On the eve of the Umno election in March 2009, he broaches the issue.

We must look at the history of Malaysia and consider the feelings of all races. If the proposal above is not accepted by non-Malays, it cannot be successfully implemented.

In the current system, all schools follow the broad national syllabus and examinations. The number of Malaysians fluent in BM has increased. This is reflected in the House. If language teachers are first class in all schools, more students will master the language.

National unity and racial integration depend on many factors, including a fair and equitable policy. The advocates of one education policy should try their best to observe the situation of Malay and Non-Malay students in national schools. If a Non-Malay who obtains 9A in an examination does not get scholarship, while a Malay student with 3A is given scholarship and better treatment, can we have unity?

We must always narrow the gap among the races. But, this does not mean that we should cause such ill-feeling, which is a factor that affects unity.

Muhkriz talks about many countries having a single education system. This does not mean that it will naturally lead to national unity. In ASEAN, Indonesia, Myanma and Thailand have one education system, what happens to their national unity?

Dr Tan Seng Giaw