MGG Pillai Commentary View

<< Previous || Next >>

The MCA Is Visionless About Vision Schools

THE MCA SUPPORTS Vision Schools, insists it is voluntary, and its president, Dato' Seri Ling Liong Sik, instead of the education minister, Tan Sri Musa Mohamed, announces the first two vision schools to be set up -- in Subang Jaya and Johore Jaya. Far from being voluntary, the Prime Minister insists those schools who disagree are traitors and worse. The government cannot push this through so long as the Chinese schools refuse to participate. It is not that they would not. They do not know what it is all about. Even the MCA cabinet ministers are not confident about to face the Chinese community to explain it. The education minister announced it without consultation, it replaced the smart schools of his predecessor, which is now as good as nonexistent. As vision schools would be when the minister moves on. The government has not explained why this need to force vision schools into existence before the i's are dotted and t's crossed. And if it is clear policy, why does Dr Ling shy away from facing the Chinese community to explain what, in his view, is easily explained.

Dr Ling continues to cast blame on every one else for not understand what he does not understand himself. He says: "Enough explanation has been given to everyone and with the implementation, we want to prove to the people that the concept is for the betterment of the country." Could he then explain how beneficial smart schools, which he wholeheartedly accepted when -- if -- it was discussed in the cabinet, are now that it is being phased out two years later and after earmarking RM300 million in software for 90 smart schools? Education is seen narrowly within an unexplained commercial and political agenda which turns it into a political hot potato. The feeling persists, and not far fetched either, that the vision schools is a ploy to have Chinese schools move out of prime land in the major cities to the suburbs, in a deal in which they would be the losers. In other words, the long term intention is not education but property development. Curiously, Tamil schools are not included in this vision schools. Why? The MIC keeps quiet about it. But the vision schools cannot succeed if the Chinese schools stay out. But its managements are not convinced about how valid this is. They see it as yet another erosion of Chinese education in the country.

The MCA, with its history of betraying the Chinese community in all its cultural aspects over the year, now cannot face the community as it cannot face the cabinet to oppose it. Nor can Tan Sri Musa force this through, not after his cut-to-fit amendments he announced in Lunas last week that suggests it is voluntary. I have tried to find out what this is all about. Without luck. One would have thought senior officials in the education ministry would know something about it. They do not. Even some senior government servants are unhappy, and look upon it cynically as a commercial exercise to separate the rich lands from the schools. When the home ministry warns Chinese newspapers of fanning disaffection between the Chinese community and the government by honestly reporting the debate within the community, the battle is lost. Dr Ling can shout as much as he likes about the vision schools is the best invention since kway teow, no one believes him. As he is not believed on any matter affecting the community. It is only he who does not believe that he has outlived his usefulness to the community.

This is why he cannot face the community, and runs away from meeting it. In Lunas, he refused to talk about the vision schools, since the Education Minister, in his view, explained it. He explained it so well that everyone is confused, especially the Chinese community in Lunas who deserted the National Front in droves. The vision school is yet another nail in the MCA coffin. Like UMNO, MIC, Gerakan and other parties which believe its strength lies in leaders remaining in office until they have outlived their usefulness, the MCA becomes swiftly irrelevant in voicing the Chinese concerns. Dr Ling himself is disbelieved. He resigned as president of the MCA, only to withdraw it because the UMNO president wanted him to remain. In office, he allowed his son to borrow RM1.2 billion and build a business empire which has collapsed. When his son did not come with the expected multimillion-ringgit donations for the Tengku Abdul Rahman College it sponsors, his stock fell alarming low, and continues to with each statement he makes.

There could well be merit in the proposed vision schools, but it is handled so badly and stupidly that none can view it except as an ill-thought policy. What it stands for, no one knows. All we have is a vague plan that is amended for political support. It is essential for the government to explain what this is all about first. The newspapers are not helpful about explaining it. So long as the government looks upon it as something good without explaining what it is meant to achieve, what its impact is on the private Chinese schools, and why Chinese educationists oppose it. It is their business to look after Chinese education schools. They have done their job well. They would not reject a plan which would benefit the Chinese schools. They clearly are not convinced about it. Building vision schools in Subang Jaya and Johore Jaya is not about to change this opposition. In any case, without the Chinese educationists support, it would remain a failed policy.

M.G.G. Pillai
pillai@mgg.pc.my