Dong Zong must toe line, says Dr Mahathir 

Noel Achariam Noel Achariam Updated 6 years ago · Published on 13 Aug 2019 6:36PM · 5 Comments

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad says the government is careful not to instigate people of different races to fight with one another. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, August 13, 2019.

DONG Zong must not incite other races, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today, as the government continues to exchange words with the Chinese education group set against the introduction of khat in vernacular schools.

“We have freedom of speech, but we are also always sensitive about not instigating people of different races to fight with each other. 

“But Dong Zong is only talking about one community and forgetting that this is a multiracial country,” he told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport after an event to mark the airport’s 21st anniversary.

Dr Mahathir was responding to a question about the internal backlash from Pakatan Harapan over his calling Dong Zong “racist” yesterday. DAP lawmakers Lim Kit Siang and Ramkarpal Singh have said it is wrong and unhelpful to label the influential group thus.

Dr Mahathir made that remark yesterday when describing how Dong Zong had frequently opposed national education policies in the past, citing as example its rejection of the Vision Schools (Sekolah Wawasan) concept which placed together pupils of national and Chinese and Tamil national-type schools.

The PH government has been hardpressed to justify its plan to introduce khat in the Year 4 Bahasa Melayu syllabus for vernacular schools next year, even after scaling it down from six to three pages and making the lessons optional.

Dong Zong, or the United Chinese School Committees Association, has been a vocal critic of the plan, which the PH government says was mooted in 2015 by the Barisan Nasional government.

The cabinet is expected to re-visit the khat issue at its weekly meeting tomorrow, as DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also the finance minister, has said he intends to raise it again.

Dr Mahathir said Dong Zong would be breaking the law if it kept on inciting people. – August 13, 2019.

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Comments

  • Dr M, without consulting the Chinese stake holders on Chinese primary schools text books is no democracy, is called imposing on others based on your own standard without knowing the feeling and logic of the group. I think u r using your old mentality of race politic to gain political support and it's not the interest of the entire Malaysia.

    Posted 6 years ago by James Wong · Reply

  • Khat is being made a small part of the Bahasa Malaysia syllabus and is taught to all students in National Schools regardless of race or religion. It is not a religious study nor a module for Mandarin. So why should Dong Zong be concerned. It does not devalue nor impede teaching of mandarin or any other subject in vernacular schools. Any reaction to the introduction of khat must be rational and based on whether its learning is of value and contributes to the vision of a workforce ready for industry 4.0.

    Posted 6 years ago by Michael Raj · Reply

  • inciting=disagree? what is disagrerment over an issue a police case? what about ZN? spreading message of peace?

    Posted 6 years ago by . . · Reply

  • In this situation, please apply the same on Zakir Naik. Otherwise, i think most Malaysians are beginning to feel that youve lost the plot and its better to leave on a high

    Posted 6 years ago by Francis Anthony · Reply

  • OMG, our PM playing double roles...!!!

    Posted 6 years ago by Thiagarajan Ramasamy · Reply