Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjunj, Lim Kit Siang, at the opening of the Paya Terubong DAP Branch Annual General Meeting held at Paya Terubong on Wednesday, 18th March, 1992 at 8 pm.
The MCA and Gerakan Ministers must give satisfactory explanation why they are opposed to the new Education Bill being made public so that Malaysians have ample time of at least two months to study it before a Parliamentary debate and voting.
The MCA and Gerakan leaders have been assuring Malaysian’s and in particular the Chinese community, that they have nothing to fear or worry about the new Education Bill.
If this is the case, why are the five MCA and Gerakan Ministers not prepared to ensure that the new Education Bill is re¬leased to the public so that all interested Malaysians whether educa¬tional bodies or individuals have ample time to study it and to give their views and feedback if necessary?
What have the MCA and Gerakan Ministers to hide in the new Education Bill that they are afraid to give the public ample time to study its new provisions, and want the new Education Bill to be rushed through Parliament to be taken through all three stages of reading?
I hope that the MCA and Gerakan Ministers will dare to take a policy position on the public release of the new Education Bill before it is presented to Parliament for debate and passage.
Call for a Government White Paper to accompany the new Education Bill to spell out its education policy, philosophy and objectives as well as defining the place and role of Chinese Education in Vision 2020.
As the new Education Bill is to enable Malaysia to face the challenges of the 21st century, DAP calls on the Government to issue a Government White Paper to accompany the new Education Bill to spell out its education policy, philosophy and objectives.
This Government White Paper on National Education Policy should also define the place and role of Chinese education, and in particular Chinese primary schools and Chinese Independent Secondary Schools, in achieving the Vision 2020.