PAS's Hudud edges Pakatan to its breaking point, a house divided will not stand

In last year's GE13 the loose and unregistered Pakatan Rakyat parties made up of the dominant Chinese chauvinist party the DAP together with PKR and PAS rode on 90% support of Malaysian Chinese voters to win an unprecedented 89 seats in Parliamen. Thank God BN was  saved by Malay votes for UMNO who obtained 88 seats together with the Bumiputra votes for the Sarawak and Sabah BN obtaining the balance 45 seats.

PAS buoyed by the overwhelming support of 90% Malaysian Chinese voters thought that after 1 year of its success it would be a good time to bring their dream of Hudud to the fore. I bet when UMNO say they are not saying no but wants it to be studied before being implemented, it just stumped the ustads from PAS. Painted into a corner by UMNO who called their bluff, PAS has no choice but attempt to have Hudud debated in Parliament through a Private Members Bill…then all 'hell' broke lose in Pakatan, the Chinese who supported Pakatan parties (The   Zongs, Gerakan and MCA members also lah) were horrified and make their feelings known …NO TO HUDUD.

Well Blogger Helen Ang came up with a good observation:

Tak betul rasanya hua zong, dong zong, jiao zong tekan MCA untuk sekat hudud

I agree with Helen.

My Additional Comments:

1. 90% orang Cina yang sokong Pakatan = Sokong DAP = Sokong PAS = Sokong Hudud

2. Orang Cina mahu tekan MCA buat apa? Apa yang MCA boleh buat? MCA menang 7 kerusi Parlimen sahja itu pun atas ehsan orang Melayu Islam. On the other hand DAP menang 39 kerusi Parlimen. Ada nampak beza.

3. Kalau orang Cina tidak menerima kenyataan ini makna DAP kena minta maaf kepada setiap orang Cina yang mengundi Pakatan kerana telah menipu mereka bahawa PAS tidak berminat kepada Hudud.

Mark my word PAS dan Hudud tidak dapat dipisahkan, PAS's very existence depends on Hudud that is what they have promised their core supporters, the Malay Muslims.

The Pakatan of DAP,PAS,PKR due to its divergent political motives and objectives will not last.

A house divided will not stand.

'Complaining To @BarackObama ; Distorting The Truth' by Dr. Chandra Muzaffar

"To convince Obama that he had to come to the rescue of Malaysian democracy, an Opposition politician, DAP Secretary-General, Lim Guan Eng, even suggested to Obama’s National Security Adviser, Susan Rice, that based upon the popular vote --- the three opposition parties together, (the Pakatan Rakyat) obtained slightly more votes than the ruling Barisan Nasional --- the Leader of the Opposition, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, should have been the Prime Minister! Surely he knows that in the first-past- the – post electoral system it is the number of seats won and not the votes polled that determines who or which party forms the government"

"If distortions and lies were not enough to persuade the US President to act on behalf of the complainants, another Opposition politician attempted to appeal to Obama’s conscience as an African-American by invoking the legacy of the civil rights movement in the States while implying that minority races in Malaysia are also “extensively discriminated politically, socially and economically.” By drawing this parallel in his Open Letter to the President of the United States of 26 April 2014, Tony Pua, the DAP Member of Parliament for Petaling Utara, has revealed how intellectually shallow and superficial he is. The circumstances that gave birth to the civil rights movement in the States bear no comparison to the situation of the minorities in Malaysia"

"There is no need for us to appeal to some external power for help. There is no justification to petition some global hegemon. We are not servile supplicants"

Dr. Chandra Muzaffar

Complaining To Obama; Distorting The Truth 

by 

Dr. Chandra Muzaffar

The views expressed, and the stances adopted, by a number of local politicians and activists in the midst of President Barack Obama’s official visit to Malaysia at the end of April raise some important questions about their understanding of the nation.

Taken as a whole, it appears that these public figures had chosen to complain to the President of the United States of America about various challenges facing Malaysia ranging from human rights and religious freedom to governance and integrity. They wanted Obama to “demonstrate concern about what is happening in Malaysia …” In their view, such concern would have been “consistent with US democratic ideals and its foreign policy of promoting freedom and justice.”

US foreign policy in reality has been more concerned about perpetuating its global hegemony than promoting democracy as borne out by its activities in a variety of nations from Chile and Nicaragua to Iran and Indonesia over the last so many decades. Any honest observer of international politics would admit this. To invite such a hegemonic power to help promote democracy in Malaysia is demeaning. It stains and sullies the dignity of our people. It denigrates and disparages our honour as a nation.

To convince Obama that he had to come to the rescue of Malaysian democracy, an Opposition politician, DAP Secretary-General, Lim Guan Eng, even suggested to Obama’s National Security Adviser, Susan Rice, that based upon the popular vote --- the three opposition parties together, (the Pakatan Rakyat) obtained slightly more votes than the ruling Barisan Nasional --- the Leader of the Opposition, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, should have been the Prime Minister! Surely he knows that in the first-past- the – post electoral system it is the number of seats won and not the votes polled that determines who or which party forms the government. 

In the US which operates within the same sort of electoral system, there had been occasions when a candidate secured the presidency even though he had garnered less popular votes than his rival, as happened in 2000.

It was not just misrepresentation about the electoral system. It was also alleged that there was “widespread fraud” in the last General Election. And the man who made that allegation in an article in The Washington Post on the day that Obama landed in Kuala Lumpur was the fabricator of that infamous lie about 40,000 Bangladeshis being flown in to vote for the BN.

If distortions and lies were not enough to persuade the US President to act on behalf of the complainants, another Opposition politician attempted to appeal to Obama’s conscience as an African-American by invoking the legacy of the civil rights movement in the States while implying that minority races in Malaysia are also “extensively discriminated politically, socially and economically.” By drawing this parallel in his Open Letter to the President of the United States of 26 April 2014, Tony Pua, the DAP Member of Parliament for Petaling Utara, has revealed how intellectually shallow and superficial he is. The circumstances that gave birth to the civil rights movement in the States bear no comparison to the situation of the minorities in Malaysia.
The movement which grew and expanded in the nineteen fifties and sixties was a legitimate response to the massive segregation and discrimination of the African-American population in almost every conceivable sphere of public activity. The African-American, invariably at the bottom of the heap, found that he had hardly any access to schools, libraries, public buses and even churches in many parts of the country simply because of the colour of his skin. In much of the southern United States he could not even vote until 1965! He was the victim of an oppressive, inhuman system that privileged the “White.”

Contrast this with the socio-economic, social-cultural and socio-political environment of the minorities in Malaysia, especially the largest of them, the Chinese community. Since Merdeka, the Chinese have remained the dominant element in the middle and upper strata of the socio-economic ladder. They own 70% of public-listed companies, 69.4 % of business complexes and 71.9% of all commercial and industrial estates. More than 80% of the wealthiest Malaysians come from the community. In this regard, it should also be emphasised that there are some poor and disadvantaged Chinese and a huge percentage of marginalised and disenfranchised Indians.

Returning to the position of the Chinese, the Chinese language and Chinese culture have a pervasive presence in the country, sustained by a Chinese language school stream, a thriving Chinese media network and Chinese cultural activities that go down to the grassroots through clan associations and sub-ethnic groupings. Through the generous conferment of citizenship on the eve of Merdeka, the Chinese, Indian and other minorities play a significant political role at both Federal and State levels. It is a role which in the case of the Chinese has been buttressed by the community’s economic strength and reinforced by a whole spectrum of civil society organisations.

Pua would only be able to appreciate all this if he is prepared to come to terms with the history and evolution of our multi-ethnic society. It is very different from the US. Malaysia belongs to that category of societies that became multi-ethnic in its present form largely because of colonial rule. It was Chinese and Indian migration and domicile mainly in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries serving British colonial interests which transformed Malay Sultanates into multi-ethnic societies. It was a transformation over which the Sultanates had hardly any control. In the end, it produced the divided economies and social systems --- one indigenous and Malay and the other non-indigenous and non-Malay --- that independent Malaya inherited in 1957.

Integrating the two is the cardinal challenge that faces the nation today. Many of the major issues confronting us in the realm of ethnic relations pertaining to the Special Position of the Malays and the indigenous communities of Sabah and Sarawak and the New Economic Policy (NEP) and even to religious rights and to the nation’s identity, revolve around this challenge of integrating interests, attitudes, emotions and worldviews associated with these two historical processes, one Malay, the other non-Malay. There are of course other issues that go beyond the Malay-non-Malay dichotomy linked to governance and integrity that also demand just solutions.

In their writings and interviews in connection with the Obama visit, Pua and his friends had highlighted some of these issues. These are legitimate concerns which should be addressed. But these are our concerns. It is for us to work out the remedies, however difficult it may be.

There is no need for us to appeal to some external power for help. There is no justification to petition some global hegemon. We are not servile supplicants.

#antiGST Campaign: The dumbing down of pro Pakatan Rakyat supporters

GST = Goods and Services Act

A random in situ survey of the 1st of May 2014 anti GST supporters revealed quite a lot about their knowledge of the GST that they are supposedly so angry at:

And the pro Pakatan fella from Merdeka Center say: 

'Pengarah Merdeka Center, Ibrahim Suffian, berkata cubaan untuk menyekat pembangkang dalam jangka panjang boleh mengurangkan keyakinan terhadap sistem yang mengendalikan negara.

Katanya, ia juga akan menyebabkan kekurangan sokongan kepada parti pemerintah, terutama sekali dengan wujudnya bantahan terhadap peningkatan kos sara hidup dan pelaksanaan Cukai Barangan dan Perkhidmatan (GST) bermula April tahun depan.

“Secara tradisinya, mereka yang menyokong pembangkang diketahui mampu berfikir untuk diri sendiri dan menggunakan sosial media dan internet untuk berkongsi pandangan mereka. Jadi sebarang langkah untuk memecahkan pembangkang akan dicabar,” katanya.

"Pathetic, just pathethic!"
me

Keep Calm and get your #GST Facts Right! 'No need to go to demo one'

GST = Goods and Services Act

Layari website: http://gstmalaysiainfo.com/

Daripada dok berpanas berdemo tengah jalan 1 Mei dulu untuk menentang GST lepas tu kena hijack oleh Anwar Ibrahim yang bukan cakap pasal GST pun tapi bercakap pasal hal peribadi dia kena masuk penjara sebab meliwat Saiful, lagi baik kamu orang Melayu lebih banyak membaca dan research mengenai GST ini:

GST: Pemahaman sendiri atau dasar kesetiaan politik?

Posted by gst MYinfo (gstmalaysiainfo) On April 30, 2014 0 Comment

Cukai Barangan dan  Perkhidmatan atau GST merupakan topik perbualan hangat terutamanya ketika pengumuman mengenai kenaikan harga perumahan sekaligus menyebabkan orang ramai risau harga barangan dan perkhidmatan yang lain juga akan naik. Ramai menyuarakan perasaan kurang puas hati di laman sosial malah ada yang terlibat dalam demonstrasi untuk menentang perlaksanaan GST. Contoh terbaik yang dapat dilihat adalah demonstrasi jalanan yang bakal berlangsung pada 1 Mei ini di sekitar Kuala Lumpur.

Kita semua pasti tahu perdebatan antara PR dan BN dalam menegakkan pendapat masing-masing. PR mengatakan bahawa perlaksanaan cukai ini akan menjadi satu beban terutamanya terhadap mereka yang berpendapatan rendah manakala BN pula mengatakan perlaksanaan GST akan menguntungkan rakyat dan juga negara pada masa depan. Perbezaan pendapat ini bukan sahaja menyebabkan percanggahan pendapat tetapi juga pertikaman lidah dari penyokong kedua-dua parti. Akibat perbalahan antara kedua-dua parti politik adalah kekeliruan informasi tentang GST berlaku sehingga Yang di-Pertuan Agong telah membuat kenyataan secara rasmi supaya semua parti politik tidak membuat kenyataan atau mengambil tindakan yang dianggap sebagai provokatif atau sensitif.

Keadaan ini menimbulkan persoalan ini: Adakah perbalahan ini semata-mata tentang prinsip GST dan kesannya ke atas rakyat dan negara, ataupun terdapat agenda disebaliknya?

Jika diteliti, GST akan menggantikan cukai yang sedia ada sekarang iaitu cukai Perkhidmatan dan Barangan (SST) yang terdedah kepada penyalahgunaan. Bukankah perlaksanaan sistem cukai yang lebih efisien dan telus suatu perubahan yang baik untuk negara kita? Malah, sistem GST yang bakal dilaksanakan telahpun 30 tahun di dalam perancangan dan mengambil kira kebajikan rakyat melalui bekalan cukai sifar dan bekalan dikecualikan cukai. Namun, ramai yang masih sangsi dengan cukai ini kerana banyak implikasi negatif yang diperbalahkan.

Andrew Webb, Pengurus Polisi di Jabatan Kastam dan Cukai, UK, berkata GST adalah mekanisme cukai yang paling berkesan di dunia dan kira-kira 158 negara telah melaksanakan GST. Beliau juga menyatakan bahawa GST adalah sistem cukai yang lemah, sistem cukai ini tidak akan dilaksanakan. Bukankah negara lain akan menukar sistem cukai ini jika ia benar-benar suatu sistem yang teruk?

Dari perspektif rakyat, perbalahan antara pemimpin politik daripada kedua-dua belah pihak yang cuba mendidik rakyat tentang GST tanpa konteks telah menimbulkan kebimbangan yang tidak sepatutnya. Justeru itu, kekeliruan makin memuncak kerana kebenaran tidak dapat dibezakan daripada propaganda. Debat tentang GST tanpa fakta kian tidak terkawal terutamanya, di kalangan mereka yang terperap dalam pemikiran bahawa parti politik yang disokong sentiasa betul dan mahu yang terbaik untuk rakyat.

Kita tidak seharusnya menyokong apa yang dikatakan oleh pemimpin berdasarkan kesetiaan terhadap parti politik. Kita semua mampu membuat penilaian tanpa dipengaruhi dan sebanyak mana kita menyokong sesetengah parti, ini tidak bermakna pendapat mereka selalunya betul.

Sebagai rakyat Malaysia, bukankah harapan kita semua agar negara maju dan dapat meningkatkan kualiti kehidupan tidak kira sebelah mana politik anda menyokong? Bagaimana untuk melangkah ke hadapan jika kita menentang sesuatu perlaksanaan hanya kerana kita menentang kerajaan? Kita sebagai rakyat Malaysia seharusnya bertanggungjawab atas pembangunan negara daripada hanya bergantung kepada kerajaan ataupun pemimpin politik.

Setiap individu berhak atas pendirian dan pendapat masing-masing. Lebih penting lagi adalah tanggungjawab kita untuk mendidik diri sendiri tentang isu-isu yang akan memberi impak kepada kehidupan harian, terutamanya dalam topik GST. Rujuklah kepada informasi dan fakta daripada sumber selain daripada pihak politik. Pakar-pakar dalam bidang akaun, cukai ataupun organisasi-organisasi dunia yang mahir dalam topik ini merupakan sumber informasi yang tidak berat sebelah.

Berita terkini menyatakan bahawa Bank Dunia menyokong langkah Malaysia untuk melaksanakan GST kerana ianya sebahagian daripada rancangan rasionalisasi subsidi yang baik.

Sebagai insan yang berakal, kita sepatutnya mendidik diri sendiri tentang GST dan dengan itu menilai samada GST adalah cukai yang baik ataupun tidak untuk dilaksanakan. Sekurang-kurangnya kajian yang kukuh harus dibuat jika perlaksanaan GST tidak disetujui dan bukanya atas pengaruh pemimpin yang dikagumi. Jika dilihat pada fakta dan angka yang sedia ada, perlaksanaan GST suatu keputusan yang salah? Janganlah hanya mengikut benarkah pendapat pemimpin politik atas dasar kesetiaan dan melupakan kewajipan kita untuk membuat penilaian yang kritikal.

Suraya Amri, Perak

Please stop listening to rubbish about the GST from Rafizi and PKR can?

Please read this also:

GST in Malaysia – How the Goods and Services Tax affects You

'Hudud - test for the Constitution' - PAS's Hudud Move Explained

Finally something about PAS's Hudud move which is clearly explained by the Emeritus Professor Faruqi:

Reflecting On The Law

Hudud - test for the Constitution

BY SHAD SALEEM FARUQI

There are provisions for the federal legislature to authorise Kelantan to implement its Islamic criminal enactment.

PARTI Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) appears determined to introduce a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament this June to implement its Syariah Criminal Code Enactment of 1993. The Enactment had, two decades ago, sought to apply hudud, the Islamic penal code, to Muslims in Kelantan. However, it could not be implemented due to many constitutional hurdles.

Federal-state division: First, under Schedule 9, List II, Paragraph I, States have authority relating to “creation and punishment of offen­ces by persons professing the religion of Islam, except in regard to matters included in the Federal List”.

Criminal law and procedure, administration of justice, jurisdiction and powers of all courts, creation of offences in respect of any of the matters included in the Federal List or dealt with by federal law are in federal hands. Theft, robbery, rape, murder, incest and unnatural sex are all dealt with by the federal Penal Code. These offences are, therefore, out of bounds for the States even though they are also serious wrongs in Islamic criminal jurisprudence.

Second, Schedule 9, List II, Paragraph 1 clearly provides that Syariah Courts shall have jurisdiction only over persons professing the religion of Islam.

This means that Syariah Courts have no power to apply the hudud laws to non-Muslims even if the non-Muslims consent to be so subject. Jurisdiction is a matter of law and not of submission or acquiescence.

Third, the Constitution in Schedule 9 List II para 1 says that Syariah Courts “shall not have jurisdiction in respect of offences except in so far as conferred by federal law”.

The relevant federal law is the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965. It imposes limits on penalties that the Syariah Courts can impose. These are maximum three years jail, RM5,000 fine and six lashes. Death by stoning, amputations and life imprisonments are outside the powers of the States.

Fourth, police, prisons, reformatories, remand homes and places of detention are all in the Federal List. Therefore, State-run detention or rehabilitation centres enforcing hudud penalties are all beyond State powers.

New momentum: PAS is hoping that these significant hurdles can be overcome if it takes the battle to the federal Parliament and gets the federal legislature to authorise Kelantan to implement its Islamic criminal enactment. Indeed, such provisions exist.

Article 76A: This Article permits the Federal Parliament to extend the legislative power of the States to enact laws on matters in the Federal List. This means that if the political equation is favourable, the Federal Parliament could by a simple majority pass an Act to authorise Kelantan to enact laws on crimes in Kelantan. The Kelantan law would then supersede any federal law on the point. In addition, under Article 80(4), the federal government can by law extend the executive authority of the State to cover the authorised federal topic.

Private Member’s Bill: Perhaps Kelantan intends to initiate a Private Member’s Bill to launch the Article 76A initiative. Private members are those MPs not holding ministerial posts. They may, under Standing Orders of the two Houses, draft a Bill and seek leave of the House by way of a motion to introduce the Bill.

If leave is granted, then the Bill shall be referred to the Minister concerned. With his report, the Bill can be taken up for second reading, debate and vote.

Such a Bill requires a simple majority of those present and voting. With 21 MPs from PAS, 88 from Umno and some Muslim MPs from PKR and Sabah and Sarawak, the Bill could squeeze through. The political dynamics is, of course, immensely complicated.

Constitutional crevices: Presuming that PAS succeeds under Article 76A to make inroads into the Federal List or through a Private Member’s Bill to legislate for criminal law in Kelantan, will the hudud issue be settled once for all? No one with knowledge of constitutional law will argue that the issue is straightforward and simple. Even if the State Enactment is passed, it may be challengeable in a court on constitutional grounds.

For example, if the State law on crime is made applicable only to Muslims and two thieves, one a Muslim and the other a non-Muslim, on conviction receive radically different penalties, is this not a flagrant violation of the rule of equality before the law under Article 8?

Article 8 forbids differentiation between persons on the ground of religion “except as expressly authorised by this Constitution”. There is an exception in Article 8(5) in relation to personal law. “This Article does not invalidate or prohibit any provision regulating personal law”.

Matters of theft, robbery, rape, incest and homosexuality are by no stretch of imagination matters of personal law. This means that it is arguable that our Constitution does not permit two thieves, similarly situated, to be treated differently for purposes of the law relating to punishment.

Alternatively, the Kelantan hudud law could apply to both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. In such a case, constitutional objections will arise that our Constitution does not permit the syariah to be imposed on non-Muslims.

It would be different, of course, if Malaysia were a full-fledged Islamic state. Then the hudud or any other uniform criminal law would apply to all.

Which leads one to the perennial polemic about whether Malaysia is an Islamic or secular state? The issue is immensely complicated and cannot be covered here in detail save to say that we have a supreme Constitution. The syariah applies in only a limited (though expanding) field and only to Muslims.

Any change to this arrangement will ne­­­ces­­­s­i­­tate radical amendments to many provisions of the Constitution, require special two-third majorities in both Houses, consent of the Conference of Rulers and consent of the Governors of Sabah and Sarawak.

It is clear that the PAS attempt to secure the enforcement of its 1993 Islamic criminal law is part of its broader aspiration of an Islamic state. There are many slippery slopes and constitutional conundrums.

Shad Faruqi, Emeritus Professor of Law at UiTM, is a passionate student and teacher of the law who aspires to make difficult things look simple and simple things look rich. Through this column, he seeks to inspire change for the better as every political, social and economic issue ultimately has constitutional law implications. He can be reached at prof.shad.saleem.faruqi@gmail.com. The views expressed here are entirely his own.

All those who oppose Hudud should also support closure of vernacular and religious schools to be replaced by 1Sekolah Untuk Semua

"On one hand we relentlessly push for an end to race-based and religious-based organisations. We loathe the slightest mention of introducing hudud. But on the other hand, insist that Chinese schools must remain in the whole scheme of things. And dubiously claim that it is "mother-tongue education" despite many being raised in dialects other than Mandarin"

"The preference(vernacular schools by Chinese) shows how little the regard is for a common school system that is the practice in most if not all countries, particularly among Malaysia's immediate neighbours and is the basis for the much talked about integration. If we continue to have large numbers being schooled under different systems and do nothing about it, we should stop lamenting about Malaysians not living in harmony"

"What we have now is a very divided arrangement for our children. They do not mingle. The bottom line, therefore, is a common school system, which in our case are the national schools"

Syed Nadzri,NST

"Some Malaysians say that Hudud is against the Perlembagaan, I say there is nothing mentioned about vernacular and religious schools in the Perlembagaan too"

"If you prevent young children from mingling with each other, do you really think they could be forced to mingle as adults, do you see Malays Chinese and Indians youths mixing in coffee shops or our favorite mamak's place now?"

"All those who are against Hudud should also support closing of vernacular and religious schools to be replaced by 1Sekolah Untuk Semua"

Me

A rather good piece from the NST about the language extremists of Dong Zong and their supporters who thinks that they should live like a People's Republic of China citizen in Malaysia and its their right as Malaysian to do so. To prove their point they even wanted to complain with the United Nations should the Gomen insist on implementing the Malaysia Education Blueprint.

Seriously these people should realize they have it pretty good living in Malaysia, no other country on this planet allow vernacular schools. The UN will probably kick their complaint back and tell them all that around Malaysia …..Indonesia, Thailand, Chinese Singapore, The Philippines all have a 1 School system and they should thank their lucky stars that the Malay led Gomen is such tolerant Gomen to allow them such a school that is totally divisive and prevents unity among Malaysians to ever take place.

Dong Zong's ring-a-ding

By Syed Nadzri | syednadzri@gmail.com

NATIONAL SCHOOLS: Even if all is not well, the system at least holds that hope of a more integrated Malaysia.

NOW the pings are unwittingly coming from Dong Zong (the United Chinese Schools Committees' Association of Malaysia) -- a throbbing signal that should alert all Malaysians about the group's declaration it would start a petition and lodge a complaint with the United Nations should the government insist on implementing the Malaysia Education Blueprint.

The ultra-Chinese education group, according to recent news reports, claimed the government would eventually wipe out Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools or what it described as "mother-tongue learning", and make national schools the first choice of school.

Dead against it, Dong Zong said it would make a report to the world body citing "discrimination", foolishly hoping that by putting a gun to the head like that, it would solve things and make it better for everyone.
This, sadly, will remain the great Malaysian contradiction. The perfect irony. We lament continuously about disharmony, all round mistrust and lack of racial integration and yet we reject the slightest effort towards a common school system.

On one hand we relentlessly push for an end to race-based and religious-based organisations. We loathe the slightest mention of introducing hudud. But on the other hand, insist that Chinese schools must remain in the whole scheme of things. And dubiously claim that it is "mother-tongue education" despite many being raised in dialects other than Mandarin.

Consider this: The Dong Zong discrimination claim came at a time when Chinese independent secondary schools were becoming so popular that they had to conduct special entrance exams to enrol pupils. Even so, they had to turn away thousands because of the limited places. So, that accusation was a little misplaced.

It is understood that at least 2,800 Year 6 school-leavers who had applied for admission to the eight Chinese independent schools in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor were turned away earlier this year due to lack of places.

China Press reported recently that the strong demand forced four Chinese schools in Kuala Lumpur -- Confucian Private Secondary School, Tsun Jin High School, Chong Hwa Independent High School and Kuen Cheng High School -- to have entrance examinations to pick the brightest applicants.

By the end of last month, Kuen Cheng, which had 800 places, had received 1,681 applications; Chung Hwa, with 1,000 places, had 1,500 applications; Tsun Jin (530 places) received 900 applications; and Confucian had 530 applicants vying for its 400 places.

In Klang, Selangor, Hin Hua High School received 1,200 applications for its 500 places. The other three schools in the district -- Guan Hwa High School, Chung Hwa Independent High School and Pin Hua High Shool -- received 1,150 applicants for the 1,115 places.

This is still not taking into account vernacular education in total, including national type schools.

The preference shows how little the regard is for a common school system that is the practice in most if not all countries, particularly among Malaysia's immediate neighbours and is the basis for the much talked about integration. If we continue to have large numbers being schooled under different systems and do nothing about it, we should stop lamenting about Malaysians not living in harmony.

Unfortunately, it is even worse for Tamil schools because, apart from the above argument, it is really a pity that the returns from these institutions are very small. I mean, let us be realistic -- what does a person who finishes Tamil school do? And yet for the sake of politics, we find groups demanding "rights" for such schools.

Again, the same for pure religious schools producing ustaz who have no qualms condemning others not aligned to their "edicts". Like the ones mentioned above, they should not be in the mainstream if they defeat the whole purpose of promoting national integration through education.

On this, a glimpse of the concern among Malaysians came through elder statesman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his latest blog posting on the arrest of veteran thinker Dr Kassim Ahmad.

He said: "Those given the responsibility on Islam in the country are seen as if they prefer the sunnah (practices of the Prophet) to be placed higher than the commandments of God in the Quran.

"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Islam is a moderate and considerate religion, a religion of fair advice. If it becomes a cruel and brutal religion and places priority in its mazhab (schools of law) more than the Quran in reverence to the teachings of certain leaders, then Muslims will be divided."

What we have now is a very divided arrangement for our children. They do not mingle. The bottom line, therefore, is a common school system, which in our case are the national schools.

Even if all is not well with national schools -- like deteriorating English proficiency among teachers and damning reports from international bodies -- the system at least holds that hope of a more integrated Malaysia.

Now, the task is to plug all the weaknesses. A big task that requires more than just a master plan not too long ago and a blueprint now.

End.

It is high time that the Gomen close the vernacular school and religious school and convert all to National type schools where mother tongue language and religion be taught as a subject for each. End the voluntary segregation of our children in schools and lets get on the way to a truly united Malaysia. Enough is enough.

Hua Zong/Dong Zong mesti faham maksud 'DiMana Bumi Dipijak, DiSitu Langit DiJunjung'

'Di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung'

Seseorang itu akan mengikuti adat resam sesuatu tempat dan menghormati kawasan setempat.

Peribahasa Melayu

"SJKs only disunite the people. We should now have government primary schools, government secondary schools. The existing SJKs should be changed to government schools,” 

Former Appeals Court judge Datuk Mohd Noor Abdullah

Malay Teachers Union of West Malaysia (Kesatuan Guru Guru Melayu Malaysia Barat-KGMMB) president, Datuk Mohd Sabri Mohd Asad said that Dong Zong should not look at their own agendas and perspective only, 

'If a national unity is what they lamented, why persistent in maintaining vernacular schools?'

'Mandarin is spoken and used as a communication tool widely all around the world, correct and granted. 
So is French, Japanese, German, Arabic, Russian etc. So what is so special about Mandarin, the lingua franca of China Chinese and a scattering of overseas Chinese.

Dong Zong/Hong Zong and the Malaysian of Chinese ethnicity must understand that you are Malaysian in Malaysia and the official language is Bahasa Malaysia (not even Bahasa Melayu if you insist!). So what is the beef about teaching Bahasa Malaysia in Malaysian schools? 

Haven't you got the right to teach mother tongue language which should be Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka and whatever in government built learning institutions which doesn't exist anywhere else in this wide world? 
Mandarin is not your daily home spoken language, it is the language of mandarins and Chinese government language. 

You should go by the saying; 'when in a grouping of cattle, moo like one and when in a grouping of sheep bleat like a sheep'. 

So pathetic and acting like agents of divisive enemy of state!'

Anon;Only Ramblings

I think this Dong Zong or Hua Zong people and their supporter should really have a look at what they have already. Malaysia is the only COUNTRY in the world which allows vernacular schools means it allows voluntary segregation, for how long does Dong Zong and Hua Zong wants the Chinese to live separate lives from the rest of Malaysians? 

This artificial condition cannot last forever, the Chinese in Malaysia are a shrinking minority…time to stop living in a vacuum and join the rest of Malaysian in unity towards a common goal..prosperity and development for all, NOT just the Chinese ok.

If Hua Zong/Dong Zong people cannot agree with the Gomen's initiative on national unity, then tough!  …..you do however have other alternatives…this is a free country u know. Good Bye! Don't worry about us we will and can survive and prosper without you people. 

Here is something I took from MOLE.my:

Hua Zong questions Government's initiative on national unity

Nik Hanif FathiSaturday, April 26, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR: Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Hua Zong) has come out to back its counterpart, the United Chinese Schools Committees' Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) in supporting the existence of Chinese vernacular schools.

Hua Zong’s vice-president and education bureau Lau Chee Boon questioned the Government’s initiative by making Bahasa Malaysia as the main medium, saying that it’s a wrong concept of unity, pointing out the split among the Malays as seen in the political parties - Umno, PKR and PAS.

“Bahasa Malaysia is a common language. If this is a concept of unity, then why are the Malays themselves splitting into different political groups? This shows that it’s a wrong concept of unity,” he spoke to The Mole during a telephone interview.

Lau explained that Mandarin is widely spoken around the world and that businesses depends on its usage to communicate with foreign Chinese customers, suggesting that vernacular schools should be seen as an asset rather than a liability.

“Vernacular schools are assets not liabilities as they help to boost the country economically,” he said.

He added that vernacular schools is not going to affect the country’s unity or education system in any way, as 90 per cent of the children who went to vernacular primary school would shift to a national-type secondary school.

Lau also clarified that vernacular school is a multiracial avenue that encouraged children to ‘pick up’ tertiary language, next to Bahasa Malaysia and English, in this case Mandarin.

He also stated that 15 percent of the students in Chinese vernacular schools are Malays and Indian as compared to the 90 percent of Malay students in a national primary school.

Commenting on improving the situation, he said: “I think the Government has to start viewing things based on meritocracy.”

Prior to this, Malay Teachers Union of West Malaysia (Kesatuan Guru Guru Melayu Malaysia Barat-KGMMB) president Datuk Mohd Sabri Mohd Asad said in a report that Dong Zong’s persistence in upholding their agenda in maintaining Chinese vernacular schools would further divide the people, a racial gap that the Government is trying to narrow down.

“It’s not as if we have a blatant disregard for other races’ heritage and culture, in fact the Government had been supportive in helping vernacular schools,” he was quoted.

New Straits Times columnist, Syed Nazri said that Dong Zong are contradicting themselves by lamenting on national unity but persistent on maintaining vernacular schools, instead of single stream schools.

Dong Zong along with other Chinese Education groups had previously been fighting for the recognition of UEC in Malaysia to enable students from Chinese schools to gain admission to public universities.

In a report, academicians had called for vernacular schools be changed to single stream schools to strengthen national unity.

Universiti Technologi Mara (UiTM) pro-chancellor Tan Sri Dr Abdul Rahman Arshad said vernacular schools developed at a faster pace and that only 10 percent of non-Malays studied in national schools.

"The rest are in vernacular schools. It is clear that racism is expanding widely, this continues with private secondary chools and national-type secondary schools," he was quoted as saying.

Former Appeals Court judge Datuk Mohd Noor Abdullah said that he wanted national-type schools (SJKs - Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan) to be abolished as they were not recognised under the constitution.

"SJKs only disunite the people. We should now have government primary schools, government secondary schools. The existing SJKs should be changed to government schools,” he was quoted as saying.

Read this too from the Mole.my:

Teachers Union to Dong Zong: "Stop looking from one race perspective"

Nik Hanif FathiThursday, April 24, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR : United Chinese School Committees' Association of Malaysia’s (Dong Zong) should stop looking at a single race perspective only, but rather view matters from the national level, a teachers' union said.

Malay Teachers Union of West Malaysia (Kesatuan Guru Guru Melayu Malaysia Barat-KGMMB) president Datuk Mohd Sabri Mohd Asad said Dong Zong’s persistence in upholding their agenda in maintaining Chinese vernacular schools would further divide the people, a racial gap that the Government is trying to narrow down.

“It’s not as if we have a blatant disregard for other races’ heritage and culture, in fact the Government had been supportive in helping vernacular schools,” he spoke to The Mole in a telephone interview.

Mohd Sabri was contacted following a recent article on New Straits Times by columnist, Syed Nazri, who said Dong Zong are contradicting themselves by lamenting on national unity but persistent on maintaining vernacular schools, instead of single stream schools.

He added that the Government had been supportive towards the vernacular schools, giving them aid in terms of funds for the school’s maintenance and that even national-type schools had lesser aid.

Mohd Sabri said that Dong Zong is under a misaligned perspective that the Government are trying to eradicate Chinese culture by calling for vernacular schools to be changed to single stream schools to strengthen national unity.

“That is their fear. When Chinese students master the usage of Bahasa Malaysia as the main medium, they are afraid that it will affect the Chinese identity and heritage negatively,” he added.

Mohd Sabri urged the Government to stick with their decision on implementing the National Education Blueprint that emphasises on the usage of Bahasa Malaysia as the main medium and not to heed to Dong Zong’s call.

He also said the Education Ministry (MOE) should stick with a more improvised and solid structure of the education system, instead of ‘shifting the goal post’ often times.

“Language represents culture, if we do not make Bahasa Malaysia as the main medium like what our neighbouring countries have done, this would result to further divide, leaving Malaysians lacking in their own identity,” Mohd Sabri explained.

Prior to this, former Dong Zong’s secretariat chief executive officer, Bock Tai Hee said in areport that the organisation's leadership had split into Team A and Team B, with each planning to move a vote of no-confidence on the other in the May 11 conference.

Bock said insider news that Dong Zong is split is heart-wrenching and wanted president Yap Sin Tian to prove it wrong as "I like unity within the Chinese education movement to prevail", he was quoted as saying.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Dong Zong drafted a complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Culture Organisation (Unesco) over what it claims was oppression and discrimination faced by vernacular schools in Malaysia.

Its president Yap said the Chinese education movement would also submit its views on the predicament of these schools to the Prime Minister, Education Minister and Parliamentarians from both sides of the political divide.

Dong Zong along with other Chinese Education groups had previously been fighting for the recognition of UEC in Malaysia to enable students from Chinese schools to gain admission to public universities.

In a report, academicians had called for vernacular schools be changed to single stream schools to strengthen national unity.

Universiti Technologi Mara (UiTM) pro-chancellor Tan Sri Dr Abdul Rahman Arshad said vernacular schools developed at a faster pace and that only 10 percent of non-Malays studied in national schools.

"The rest are in vernacular schools. It is clear that racism is expanding widely, this continues with private secondary chools and national-type secondary schools," he was quoted as saying.

Former Appeals Court judge Datuk Mohd Noor Abdullah said that he wanted national-type schools (SJKs - Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan) to be abolished as they were not recognised under the constitution.

"SJKs only disunite the people. We should now have government primary schools, government secondary schools. The existing SJKs should be changed to government schools,” he was quoted as saying.

In response, Dong Zong has called on the government to take action against Abdul Rahman and Mohd Noor over their "extreme" views.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin reportedly said that Dong Zong must “meet the demands and requirements” of the Education Ministry in order for the UEC to be recognised.

In response, Dong Zong has expressed concerns that the Government may be deliberately suppressing the development of vernacular schools in favour of the rollout of a master education plan.