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DAP calls on all Malaysians, particularly MCA, Gerakan and SUPP Ministers, not to allow UMNO to "hijack" the most high-level review of the national education system which must be the product of all political parties, ethnic communities, religious groups and the civil society Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang (Penang, Monday): In an end-of-the-year interview with New Straits Times published on 26th December 2002, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad spoke of the "double hijacking" of the national school system from its original objective of catering to all races in Malaysia, viz: Sabotage of the Pupil's Own Language (POL) programme by people who try to deny the right of the Chinese and Indians to learn their own languages as by not making an effort to provide the necessary teachers; and Attempt to turn the national schools into Islamic rather than Malaysian schools by introducing Islamic practices into the school system to the extent that non-Muslims have become alienated - as forbidding boys from wearing shorts, even for games, and even games are discouraged. It was to end such deviation from the main objectives of the national education system that the highest-powered national education review committee has been set up chaired for the first time in the nation's history by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad himself. Deputy Education Minister, Datuk Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin, said last Friday that the second Mahathir education review committee had met three times in the past two months, but what is shocking is that the non-UMNO Barisan Nasional Ministers and leaders are completely in the dark about the objectives, terms of reference and modus operandi of what is probably the most important education review committee in the 45-year history of the nation. In the past two months, MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP or other non-UMNO Barisan Nasional Ministers and leaders have been conspicuously silent about the second Mahathir education review committee, illustrating their ignorance and exclusion from the review process - and the people who had spoken about the second Mahathir education review committee were only UMNO leaders, whether Ministers or Deputy Ministers. DAP calls on all Malaysians, particularly MCA, Gerakan and SUPP Ministers, not to allow UMNO to "hijack" the most high-level review of the national education system which must be the product of a process fully involving all political parties, ethnic communities, religious groups and the civil society. Despite the DAP's repeated calls and reminders, the Cabinet had never discussed or authorized the establishment of the second Mahathir education review committee in the past two months despite the holding of at least six Cabinet meetings, as the review and committee were purely the decision of the UMNO Supreme Council on November 29 which had never been referred to the Cabinet for approval, whether for its establishment, terms of reference, composition or modus operandi. A comprehensive review of the national education system affecting Malaysians of all races and religions is the concern of all communities, political parties and the civil society and should not be hijacked by any political party, community or group. This is particularly serious in view of the various disturbing statements made recently by the UMNO leaders who are members of the second Mahathir education review committee, for instance: The speech by UMNO Deputy President and Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at the inaugural Penang UMNO Education Convention on 25th January 2003 based on the fallacy that the existence of Chinese primary schools is the cause of racial polarization in the country. The statement by UMNO Vice President and Minister for Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin, after attending the MCA Pagoh Chinese New Year Open House reiterating the fallacy that race relations would continue to worsen if the overwhelming majority of the Chinese pupils enrol in Chinese primary schools (Berita Harian 6.2.03). This ignores the fact that the phenomenon of some 90 per cent of Chinese pupils attending Chinese primary schools did not develop only in the past few years but went back over three decades, as in 1977, when Mahathir was then the Education Minister, 87 per cent of the Chinese pupils were already attending the Chinese primary schools. The statement by Aziz Shamsuddin over the weekend reiterating that the existence of Chinese and Tamil primary schools are factors of racial polarization in the country. I want to repeat my call to MCA, Gerakan and SUPP Ministers to stop "sleeping" in Cabinet as they should wake up at the next Cabinet meeting on Wednesday to reassert Cabinet authority, responsibility and jurisdiction on the objectives, terms of reference, composition and modus operandi of the second Mahathir education review committee and not to allow UMNO to hijack the philosophy, terms of reference, composition and modus operandi of the education review. I hope all the recent talk of impending Cabinet changes, such as Mahathir's statement in Malacca on 30th January that Cabinet Ministers should be prepared to make way for a new team when Abdullah takes over as Prime Minister, have not unnerved Cabinet Ministers particularly from the non-UMNO Barisan Nasional parties, from defending the Cabinet's authority from being hijacked by the UMNO Supreme Council. This makes it even more imperative that the Cabinet on Wednesday should take the formal decision that the government and nation formally observe the fourth International Mother Language Day (IMLD) on Feb. 21 especially as Malaysia was one of the 28 countries which seconded the proposal which was adopted by the UNESCO in 1999. The Cabinet should remember that Resolution 12 of UNESCO's 30th General Conference in November 1999, which was seconded by Malaysia and resulted in the proclamation of Feb. 21 as the International Mother Language Day, made three recommendations to Member states, viz: (a) create the conditions for a social, intellectual and media environment of an international character which is conducive to linguistic pluralism; (b) promote, through multilingual education, democratic access to knowledge for all citizens, whatever their mother tongue, and build linguistic pluralism; and (c) encourage the study of the languages of the major ancient and modern civilizations, with a view to safeguarding and promoting a literary education. As Malaysia had seconded the 1999 UNESCO Resolution which proclaimed February 21 as the International Mother Language Day, the Cabinet should honour our international commitments not only to formally observe the IMLD, but also to ensure that the second Mahathir education review committee be fully guided by Resoluion 12 of the UNESCO's 30th General Conference 1999 when making recommendations for a comprehensive overhaul of the national education system. (10/2/2003) * Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman