On 29 April 2013, Malaysian PM Dato’ Sri Najib Razak made a whistlestop tour of the politically critical state of Johore, as he looked to secure victory for the Barisan Nasional coalition at Malaysia’s general election on Sunday, 5 May 2013.
At an afternoon rally at a shopping mall in Johor Baru, Dato’ Najib announced that the city’s 100-year-old Foon Yew High School, the largest independent Chinese school in Malaysia, would be allowed to set up a second branch.
In the evening, he attended a dinner with over 1,000 residents, Chinese community leaders and alumni at Southern University College in Gelang Patah seat. In his dinner speech, Mr Najib said he was committed to ensuring fair education opportunities for all Malaysians, adding:
Outside of China and Hong Kong, Malaysia is the most liberal and accommodating towards Chinese education.
Not far across from Johor, across the Causeway, you won’t find any Chinese schools there. Here, you not only find Chinese schools, but also Southern University College.
Mr Najib does not mention Taiwan, but that is probably because Malaysia does not officially recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state.
Is it true that there are no Chinese schools a short distance “across the Causeway” from Malaysia? Or is Mr Najib exaggerating?
Is it true that “outside of China and Hong Kong, Malaysia is the most liberal and accommodating towards Chinese education” despite the Chinese there making up only about 25% of the population?
Is the corollary true that Singapore is less liberal and accommodating towards Chinese education despite the Chinese here making up the majority i.e. about 75% of the population?
What do you think?
TR Emeritus
*Article first appeared on www.TREmeritus.com