Speech by DAP Organising Secretary, Mr Lim Kit Siang, to members and supporters at Layang-Layang, Johore, on Sunday, 9th June 12p.m.
Thousands of Malaysians holding Nanyang University qualifications are still unemployed and underpaid, because the Malaysian Government has persistently refused to work out a formula to accord recognition to Nantah degrees.
The DAP has repeatedly called for serious and sincere attempts by the Alliance and MCA leaders to find a solution to this long-outstanding issue.
A solution is not difficult if the government is genuine in wanting to solve it. The DAP has recommended a solution on two guidelines:
(1) IMMEDIATE recognition of those degrees which are of international reputes;
(2) FURTHER educate other degree-holders through intensive orientation course, to upgrade their standards before government recognition.
There is only one reason why this problem had not been resolved after so many years.
EITHER the Alliance and MCA leaders had never given serious thinking to this problem, OR the Alliance and MCA leaders are a bunch of useless, ineffective and inefficient people who do not have the ability and intelligence to work out a formula to solve it.
High MCA officials have publicly declared that the question of the recognition of Nantah and Formosan University degrees and qualifications is a “communal” problem.
In such a sweeping dismissal, the MCA is in effect condemning all Nantah and Formosan graduates as “communalists” as well.
Such a statement comes strangely from leaders of a blatant and self-confessed communal political organization – the MCA.
We in the DAP do not regard the problem of unemployment and misuse of human resources as a “communal” problem. It is a Malaysian national problem, which any government responsible and responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people, will regards as its duty to solve.
We urge the Alliance and MCA leaders to get down seriously to the task of solving this problem.
Call a meeting of academicians, representatives from graduates of the Nantah and Formosan universities, and thrash out the problem.
Lest I be accused of being a Chinese communalist, I say the same principle applies to graduates from all universities, whether from Indians, Indonesian, Middle Eastern ones.
The principles is this : It is the responsibility of the government to find employment outlets for all Malaysian citizens, regardless of the university they had graduated.
With goodwill, sincerity, honesty, we do not see why this problem cannot be solved within three months.
Audited on 2021-03-19