Education – Page 42 – Pursuit of a Malaysian Dream

Sending of principals and clerks who do not know Chinese to Chinese primary schools

Press Statement by Lim Kit Siang, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Bandar Melaka on 4 July 1973:

Sending of principals and clerks who do not know Chinese to Chinese primary schools: DAP calls on Dato Hussein Onn to publicly declare government’s policy and intention

For the past week or so, the Chinese community partners, teachers and students have been greatly disturbed by the deliberate departure from policy by the Education Departments in various states in sending principles not versed in Chinese to Chinese Primary schools, as in Perak, and the despatch of large numbers of clerks who do not know Chinese to manage Chinese school affairs as in Kedah, and Selangor.

One of the reasons why the Chinese community and the Chinese educational circles unanimously opposed the 1971 Education (Amendment) Act which abolished the powers of hire and fire of the Board of Managements was the fear that the amendment will be the first practical step to change the character of Chinese primary schools without consultation and consent of the Chinese community, apart from the MCA.

It is still fresh in public memory that after vigorous opposition expressed by the Chinese educational bodies and societies. MCA leaders such as Mr.Lew Sip Hon and Mr.Alex Lee sought to alley such fears by publicly giving an anequiviocal pledge that “Chinese schools will not be touched.” Continue reading Sending of principals and clerks who do not know Chinese to Chinese primary schools

The right of the retrenched estate workers

Speech by DAP Secretary General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr.Lim Kit Siang, to the DAP National Estates Sub-Committee on Wednesday, July 4, 1973 at 8 p.m.

In sungei Siput on March 12, 1972, I announced the formation of the DAP National Estates Sub-Committee to champion the case of the retrenched estate workers, and in particular, to fight for the right of the retrenched estate workers to a decent life in Malaysia.

Since then, the DAP has consistently, inside and outside the Parliament and State Assemblies, raised the voice on behalf of the downtrodden estate workers, particularly those who had been displaced and thrown onto the unemployment heap.

The problems of the estate workers had in the last decade been mass retrenchment, a decent livelihood, citizenship, education.

For the last 16 months that the DAP National Estates Sub Committee has been in operation, the DAP voice for a new deal for estate workers wad ignored by the Government, and in particular the MIC, which claimed to be the champion of the Indian community in Malaysia. Continue reading The right of the retrenched estate workers

Announce blue- print and master plan for the upliftment of 900,000 new villagers

Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary- General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka. Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a DAP Public Really at Bukit Mertajam on Saturday, 23rd June 1973 at 8p.m.

Call for urgent Ministry of Education action to upgrade the quality and standard of teaching in Malaysian primary schools.

Three months ago, the country was gravely shaken by the by news that 14,400 MCE candidates last year failed led in the MCE examination although they are bright, intelligent and hardworking students- just because of the inexplicable failure in Bahasa Malaysia.

In fact, mass failures at all levels of our education system, by students above average and hardworking, has become the feature of Malaysian education system.

Last month n Parliament, I asked the Minister of Education for detailed results of last year’s Std V Assessment Examination and only a few days ago, I received the particulars. Continue reading Announce blue- print and master plan for the upliftment of 900,000 new villagers

Parents should take active and direct interest in the education of their children

Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary- General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka. Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a DAP Public Really at Pokok Asam, Taiping, on Saturday, 23rd June 1973 at 10 p.m.

Call on Parents to take on active and direct interest in the education of their children if they are not going to be mis- educated and grow up as misfits in society

Under the past Alliance rule for over 15 years, the education in the country has become more and more muddled, with the quality and standards of education deteriorating from year to year.

Parents must take an active and direct interest in the education of their children, if their children are not going to be mis- educated and grow up as misfits in society.

For the last decade, hundreds of thousands of Malaysian youths have gone to school to come out only to join the ranks of the unemployed. Continue reading Parents should take active and direct interest in the education of their children

National Chinese Education convention on low standard of Chinese language in Chinese primary schools

Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at Malacca State Sub-Committee Meeting on Tuesday, 19th June 1973 at 6.30 p.m.

Call on Chinese School Board of Managements, educationists, principals, teachers and parents to convene a national Chinese Education convention to discuss the low standard of Chinese language in Chinese primary schools

Last year, the DAP, spearheaded by the DAP Chinese Education Sub- Committee, tried to arouse public concern and consciousness about the grave problem of low quality and standard of Chinese language in Chinese primary schools.

We also disclosed the shockingly high rate of mass failures in the Chinese language during the Std. V Assessment Examination of the previous year (1971), where apart from Malacca, all states had over 34% failures. In the case of Perak, the failure among Chinese primary students in the Chinese subject was as high as 51%.

Unfortunately, apart from the public concern of a few educationists and teachers, the majority appeared unconcerned or indifferent. In fact, a few Chinese school teachers even criticized me for publicly raising this matter, and when I checked their credentials, I find they are invariably with the MCA. On lesser matters, big meetings were held; but on this crucial issue, everybody kept a distance. Continue reading National Chinese Education convention on low standard of Chinese language in Chinese primary schools

End of Interchangeability between Malaysian and Singapore currencies

Speech by Opposition Leader and DAP Secretary-General, Lim Kit Siang, at a DAP Public Rally in Batu Pahat on Sunday, 17th June 1973 at 10 p.m.

1. Call on Government not to discriminate against Chinese and Tamil languages in favour of English.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Ministry of Education have jointly started the ETV, or Education Television, for primary and secondary schools for quite some time.

However, it is highly regrettable that the Government has discriminates against Chinese and Tamil schools in preferences for English schools.

There is English-language Education Television series, whether it be modern mathematics, integrated science, civics, etc. but conspicuously omitted are ETV series in Chinese and Tamil language.

Right from the beginning, all four languages, Malay, English, Chinese and Tamil, had been used for radio school programmes catering to the needs of school children in all language media schools. Continue reading End of Interchangeability between Malaysian and Singapore currencies

The preservation and sustenance of Chinese-media schools in Malaysia

Speech by DAP Secretary- General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, when declaring open the Exhibition on Chinese Education organized by the DAP Chinese Education Sub-Committee held at 63- D Jalan Sultan, Kuala Lumpur on Friday, 4th May 1973 at 11 a.m.

DAP calls for the double entrenchment of the constitutional guarantee and right of (i) every Malaysian parent to send his child to the language-media school of his choice and (ii) the preservation and sustenance of Chinese-media schools in Malaysia, so that they will not be compulsorily converted into Bahasa Malaysia-media schools

On this day in China, fifty- four years ago a great revolution was launched which led to the transformation of the Chinese society through the attack, discrediting and discarding of outmoded and parasitize values, attitude, systems and public figures which had kept the Chinese society and masses in serfdom, politically, socially, culturally and economically.

This great social revelation, known as the May the Fourth Movement, was spearheaded by idealistic students, workers and intelligentsia who had enough of the oppression and misrule of feudalists, landlords, eunuchs and traitors. Continue reading The preservation and sustenance of Chinese-media schools in Malaysia

DAP wants a comprehensive review of the entire education policy and system in Malaysia

Speech by DAP Secretary- General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at the closing of the DAP Luar Bandar Selangor Seminar held in Klang on 29th April 1973 at 4 p.m.

The high rate of mass failures among Malay students in science and mathematics and among non-Malay students in Bahasa Malaysia in the 1972 LCE examination has highlighted the grave problems, defects and weaknesses of the Malaysian education system.

Fifteen years of alliance education policy has borne very bitter fruits for the parents and students.

Every Malaysian with children in school knows that the quality and content of education has deteriorated badly over the years, which the Ministry of Education officials are not prepared to admit. Continue reading DAP wants a comprehensive review of the entire education policy and system in Malaysia

Do not abolish the nine Selangor State Assembly seats within and contiguous to the Federal Capital of KL

Speech by Ketua Pembangkang and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, in the Dewan Rakyat on the Constitution (Amendment) 1973 Bill on 26.4.1973

The Malaysian Constitution is probably one of the most amended constitutions in the world. Today this House is asked to give its approval to another fresh batch of constitutional amendments.

The present amendments concern principally two subjects. Firstly, there is the proposed establishment of the Education Service Commission, responsible for the appointment, dismissal and exercise of disciplinary control over teachers and other members of the education service.

Education is a vital subject which affects the future of every citizen in the country, and will determine the future destiny of the nation as a whole. This is amply evidenced by the public consternation and country over the unprecedented mass failures in the 1972 MCE examination. Continue reading Do not abolish the nine Selangor State Assembly seats within and contiguous to the Federal Capital of KL

The 1972 Mass MCE Bahasa Malaysia Failures

I must confess deep disappointment and regret, shared by decisive sections of the people in the country, that the Government in this policy pronouncement has conspicuously omitted reference to the burning issue in the country – namely, the mass failures in the 1972 M.C.E./S.PM, examination merely because of failure in the Bahasa Malaysia paper.

I had hoped that the Government would take this opportunity to show to the people and the world that it is a liberal, broadminded and statesman-like one, which genuinely cares for the interest and welfare of all sections of the population. Continue reading The 1972 Mass MCE Bahasa Malaysia Failures