Anti-Jawi rally just to ‘express feelings’, says Chinese education group

Angie Tan Angie Tan Updated 6 years ago · Published on 20 Dec 2019 4:37PM · 7 Comments

Chinese education group Dong Jiao Zong says its upcoming anti-Jawi rally is not a protest but an appeal to the government to cancel the introduction of Jawi lessons in the Bahasa Melayu syllabus in primary vernacular schools. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, December 20, 2019.

A RALLY by Chinese education groups against introductory Jawi lessons for vernacular schools is not a protest, but an appeal to the government to cancel the move, Dong Jiao Zong chairman Tan Tai Kim said.

He was responding to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s warning earlier today that insistence on holding the rally could lead to other repercussions, such as Malay pressure groups reasserting their calls for vernacular schools to be shut down.

“It’s just to express our feelings, to appeal. It’s not about protesting,” he told The Malaysian Insight about the rally planned for December 28.

Tan added that Dong Jiao Zong will make a final decision on whether to hold the rally at a meeting on December 26.

The umbrella group representing the United Chinese Schools Teachers’ Association (Jiao Zong) and the United Chinese School Committees’ Association (Dong Zong) recently announced plans for a rally at the New Era College in Kajang.

They said the rally is to state their stand against the Education Ministry’s move to have introductory Jawi writing lessons in the Year 4 Bahasa Melayu textbook for vernacular schools.

Dong Jiao Zong had asked other Chinese-interest groups to register with Dong Zong to join the rally, adding that Tamil education groups will also be invited.

Dr Mahathir earlier today said that the rally could prompt Malay pressure groups to hold their own gathering and renew rhetoric about closing down vernacular schools.

“You do that kind of thing, and you will get a reaction,” he was quoted as saying in media reports when speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the KL Summit 2019 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.

Dr Mahathir said Malaysia is made up of people of different races and people have to be mindful about how other ethnic groups felt.

He said it is up to people to attend the rally as “this is a free country” but added that sensitivity should be shown towards other races.

The Education Ministry has already reduced the number of pages on introductory Jawi lessons in the Year 4 BM textbook for vernacular schools from six to three.

The three pages dealt with interpretation and explanation of the meaning of Jawi script used in national symbols, such as the government logo “Jata Negara”, on stamps and on ringgit notes.

Following earlier outcry from vernacular education groups, the ministry has since decided to allow vernacular schools the freedom to decide on their own whether to implement the introductory lessons or not. This is to be decided through surveys of parents and parent-teacher associations.

Dong Jiao Zong, however, has said there is not enough time to do so as the new school year begins next month, and that there has been no training for their teachers to be able to implement the lessons. – December 20, 2019.

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Comments

  • It's just 3 pages of jawi with a lot of pictures. Grow up, please.

    Posted 6 years ago by Gerald Lau · Reply

    • For those who don't understand the Chinese association's fear, you need to look at history, at the systematic erosion and intrusion into vernacular and missionary schools, mostly done in an apparent harmless and logical way but when all the steps are systematically implemented it will be too late. There a trust deficit created over the years between the government (esp the previous one under TDM) and the Chinese associations responsible for vernacular schools. Now this "unnecessary" introduction is thus viewed with a lot of suspicion and they would rather not have any changes at all because they can't be sure of the grand plans of those in power. The Missionary schools have suffered worse fate in the past because the church failed to champion/ protect it as vigorously as the Chinese associations. So its not just about 3 pages of innocent looking Jawi, which by itself should be OK

      Posted 6 years ago by Mike Mok · Reply

  • The PM himself seems like instigating a counter rally if the Chinese proceeds with their own rally. In the first place I don't think the Chinese associations should have a rally but it is unbecoming of the PM himself to threaten what is their constitutional right to appeal to the government. The PM himself have said many unkind things about the association lately bordering on open threats and lies. This is so TDM style minus OSA

    Posted 6 years ago by Mike Mok · Reply

  • For those who don't understand the Chinese association's fear, you need to look at history, at the systematic erosion and intrusion into vernacular and missionary schools, mostly done in an apparent harmless and logical way but when all the steps are systematically implemented it will be too late. There a trust deficit created over the years between the government (esp the previous one under TDM) and the Chinese associations responsible for vernacular schools. Now this "unnecessary" introduction is thus viewed with a lot of suspicion and they would rather not have any changes at all because they can't be sure of the grand plans of those in power. The Missionary schools have suffered worse fate in the past because the church failed to champion/ protect it as vigorously as the Chinese associations.

    Posted 6 years ago by Mike Mok · Reply

  • Just because of 3 pages..!?????
    Go and ask your children.. Do they care about this 3 pages??... Only old people like you that make ot a big issue.... After MOE willing
    to be lenient and reduce pages..
    u still show your stupid chauvinism & phobia!!!

    Posted 6 years ago by Shah ramo · Reply

  • M is talking nonsense! Its a peaceful rally if there is any reaction from any other ethnic group, it's bcos such group is reacting due to flimsy excuses and even a squeeze if enough to trigger such a reaction. Go ahead and we dont cow to such racist PM

    Posted 6 years ago by Amigo sabah · Reply

  • Dr Mahathir said Malaysia is made up of people of different races and people have to be mindful about how other ethnic groups felt.

    Was Tun M mindful about how non-Malays felt when he supported the Malay Dignity Congress where seditious speeches were made in attacking the non-Malays? Certainly mindfulness and sensitivity towards others cannot be a one way traffic.

    Posted 6 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply