DAP Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, today issued the following statement:
Lim Kit Siang to make an adjournment speech on the Malam Kebudayaan Chun Lei in Parliament later this month
I have given notice to Parliament to make an adjournment speech in two weeks’ time on the Malam Kebudayaan Chun Lei, which the police refused to permit performance in Kuala Lumpur in April and May in aid of Chinese Independent Chinese Secondary Schools without valid reasons.
In my adjournment speech, I would also raise the arrests of eight persons actively involved in organising the Malam Kebudayaan Chun Lei, calling for an explanation from the Minister of Home Affairs for the reasons of their arrest, which runs contrary to the Rukunegara principles of a democratic society.
Out of the 20 questions for oral answer which I have submitted, the following six concerned education:
* To ask the Minister of Education whether the government would consider providing free secondary and university education for all students whose parents earn less than $500 a month.
* To ask the Minister of Education whether it is the policy of the Minister of Education to compel school children to attend National Front public rallies to boost up the crowd, at the expense of the children’s education, and what action his Ministry has taken against school authorities who compel school children to attend the National Front rally at the Selangor Padang on June 2.
* To ask the Minister of Education whether the government would consider repealing Clause 21(2) of the Education Act 1960 which empowers the Minister of Education to convert national-type primary schools into national primary schools to give full substance to government assurance that Chinese and Tamil primary schools would be allowed to exist unconverted.
* To ask the Minister of Education to state
(i) whether it is true that with effect from next year, the Ministry of Education will give full textbook assistance to pupils form national primary and secondary schools whose parents earn less than $500 – while those in the national type primary and secondary schools would receive 50 per cent assistance;
(ii) whether he is aware that such discrimination in help for the poor runs counter to the Second Malaysia Plan to eliminate poverty regardless of race; and
(iii) whether the Ministry would reconsider its decision and, in accordance with the Second Malaysia Plan objective to help the poor, regardless of race, give full textbook assi tance to pupils in national type primary and secondary schools whose parents earn less than $500.
* To ask the Minister of Home Affairs to state the number of persons who have been arrested for their part in organising and planning the Malam Kebudayaan Chun Lei, and the reasons for their individual arrest.