Category: Education

Speech by DAP Secretary- General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Sang, when speaking to the Johore State DAP Standing Sub-Committee on Sunday, 15th April 1973 at Kluang DAP premises at 2p.m.

Last July, at a public rally in Tangkak, I spoke of the great urgency that parents should waken up to the very poor quality and standard of education their children are getting in Malaysian primary and secondary schools.

I had given some figures in connection with the 1971 Std. V Assessment Examination. Thus, for Chinese primary schools, for the whole state of Johore, out of a total of 12,215 who sat for the examination, 55.3% failed in mathematics; 26.9% failed in Bahasa Inggeris I; 33.6% failed in Mathematics; 26.9% failed in Science; 42% failed in Geography-History; and 41% failed in Chinese language.

I had hope that teachers, parents and the education ministry officials would initiate comprehensive inquiries to determine and overcome this shocking state of mass failures from the primary schools up to secondary schools.

Sad to say, apart from a few MCA teachers expressing their unhappiness that this matter should ever be aired at all, no positive or concrete action was taken by educationists, teachers and parents. Continue reading 1971 Std. V Assessment Examination: 63 national-type (Chinese) primary schools had 100% failures

Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a DAP Public Rally at Tanjong Tualang, 8th April, 1973 at 10.00 p.m.

Call to Cabinet to reconsider MCE failure to award conditional passes to 14,330 who failed just because of Bahasa Malaysia paper

The announcement by the Minister of Education, Dato Hussein Onn, last Tuesday that the Ministry would not award conditional passes to the 14,330 MCE candidates who failed because of failure in Bahasa Malaysia paper in one of most unfortunate events in the recent development of education in the country.

All arguments are in support for the award of conditional passes to the MCE candidates, especially when it is a widely-accepted fact now that the fault for the mass failures of 14,330 does not lie with the students, but with the MCE examination and education system.

The overwhelming majority of the 14,300 students had tried their level best to pass the MCE Bahasa Malaysia paper, knowing full well that they would fail the whole MCE examination if they do not do so. Their school record and school tests show that they have achieved high standards in MCE Bahasa Malaysia. How come, then, can there be such massive failures amounting to 14,300 candidates, who are bright, conscientious and hardworking students? Continue reading Award conditional passes to 14,330 who failed MCE because of BM paper

DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, today issued the following statement (4 April 1973):

1) DAP Repeats Call for Royal Commission of Inquiry into the High Rate of Failure of Non- Malay Students in MCE Bahasa Malaysia and continued High Rate of Failures in Maths and Science by Malay Students

The announcement by the Minister of Education Dato Hussein Onn that the Government would not award conditional pass to the 14,166 candidates who failed last year’s MCE examinations solely because of failures in Bahasa Malaysia paper is regrettable. It must have come as a great blow and disappointment to decisive sections of the population who had hoped that the Minister of Education and the Alliance Government would take liberal, broadminded and statesman-like attitude on this important matter.

The argument that the regulations governing the award of MCE, fixed by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate does not allow the award of conditional passes, in unacceptable. These rules are “man-made” and can be “man-unmade”. There are, in this instance, cogent and overpowering reasons why special exceptions should be made, for an open, thorough and impartial inquiry would definitely reveal that the majority of the 14,166 students are not to be blamed for the failure in the Bahasa Malaysia paper. Continue reading Meeting of all Opposition Member of Parliament to discuss MCE failures

Press Statement by Lim Kit Siang, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Bandar Melaka on 27 March 1973:

I have given notice to Parliament that I will move the following motion in connection with the disastrous M.C.E. results when the Dewan Rakyat meets on April 17:

That this House, reflecting and registering the dismay and shook of the country at the high rate of mass failures in the 1972 M.C.E. examination merely because of failure in Bahasa Malaysia although these unsuccessful candidates did very well in other subjects, including many with a string of distinctions;

RESOLVES

1. That a Royal Commission of Inquiry or a parliamentary committee be established to inquire into the causes and reasons for this shockingly high rate of M.C.E. failures in Malaysian schools, including the leading schools in the country, and to propose remedies;

2. That conditional M.C.E. pass certificates should be issued to all these who sat for the 1972 M.C.E. examination and would have passed if not for the failures in Bahasa Malaysia paper subject to the proviso that they repeat the Bahasa Malaysia paper;

3. That those candidates for the 1972 M.C.E. examination who would have qualified to proceed to Sixth Form if not for their failure in Bahasa Malaysia paper, be given Sixth Form places subject to the proviso that they repeat the Bahasa Malaysia paper;

4. That the proposed introduction of Oral Test for the M.C.E. Bahasa Malaysia paper be postponed indefinitely until the publication of the findings of the proposed Royal Commission of Inquiry or a parliamentary committee into the reasons for the high rate of failure in the M.C.E. Bahasa Malaysia paper.

Press Statement by Ketua Pembangkang, Lim Kit Siang, on 26 March 1973:

Call on all students, parents and educational organisations to make their voice heard and felt by the authorities against the gross injustices of the MCE examination system.

I am glad that a few school boards of management, old boys’ associations and students have acted positively by publicly making their views and voice heard and felt by the authorities against the present gross injustices of the M.C.E. examination system – where tens of thousands are failed just because of Bahasa Malaysia despite a string of distinctions in other subjects.

Even more students, parents, old boys’ associations and school management boards must take up the public call urging the Ministry of Education to institute a public inquiry into the MCE examination system and to give conditional passes to all those who have failed just because of Bahasa Malaysia paper.

More information which has come in has shown how empty and hollow are the views of those who say that the students are themselves to be blamed for their lack of sufficient interest in the subject.

I have just received a memorandum from Jerantut, where there is 100% failure of all the non-Malay students who sat for the M.C.E. last year from Sekolah Menengah Jerantut – although many of them scored distinctions in other subjects. Continue reading The gross injustices of the MCE examination system

Speech by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a DAP public rally at Fettes Road, Tanjong Bungah, Penang, on Sunday, 25th March 1973 at 10 p.m.

DAP call on Minister of Education to give public assurance that H.S.C. places will not be denied to successful M.C.E. candidates with good grades

March 19, 1973 will go down in Malaysian history as one of the blackest days, when the M.C.E. results were disclosed with the shockingly high rate of failures, merely because of failure in Bahasa Malaysia. Up till today, the Ministry of Education has not given details, including how many students failed the M.C.E. just because of failures in one Bahasa Malaysia subject. However, based on the past figures of failures in M.C.E. just because of Bahasa Malaysia, I would estimate that this year, the total number of failures will be from 10,000 to 20,000 candidates – which is no small figure.

While the students, parents and the public are agitated by this unjust M.C.E. education system and mount up pressure for a public inquiry and a radical overhaul of the system, those who are fortunate enough to pass the M.C.E. will face their problems shortly.

Last year, large numbers of students who had good grades in the M.C.E. could not find places in H.S.C. classes. In fact, it was common to see M.C.E. first graders loitering around, because they could not get opportunities to join H.S.C. classed and with their M.C.E. certificates could find no jobs. This is another grave injustice in the entire education system in the country. Continue reading H.S.C. places should not be denied to successful M.C.E. candidates with good grades

Press Statement by DAP Secretary-General and MP for Bandar Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, on 20 March 1973:

DAP shocked by the mass failures in last year’s M.C.E. examination and call for a public inquiry to ascertain the reasons for close to 10,000 students failing in the examination merely because of failure in the Bahasa Malaysia subject

The DAP joins the parents and the public in our shock at the high rate of mass failures in last year’s M.C. E. examination.

The result of major English and Chinese schools, which had traditionally maintain very high standards, is particularly unbelievable. Thus, in Penang, St. Xavier’ s institution had a pass rate of 26 per cent; Methodist Boys School 27.1 per cent; Penang Free School 57 per cent.

In Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Cockrane English School scored 28.3 percent passes, Bukit Bintang Boys School in Petaling Jaya, 30 percent; Assunta Convent in Petaling Jaya 58 percent, Methodist Boys’ School, 62 percent.

One of the best schools in Perak, St. Michael’s Institution has the shocking result of only 17.4 percent passes. In Malacca, Malacca High School has 57 per cent passes.
Continue reading Mass failures in last year’s M.C.E. examination