Milton Foo
KUCHING (Oct 4): Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Youth secretary general Milton Foo has slammed PAS deputy youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari for playing politics by sensationalising the RM15 million allocation for Chinese independent schools.
“Education must transcend politics, let alone be confused with race and religion. Schools from different streams should be treated fairly and equitably, be it national schools, Tamil schools, Chinese schools, or tahfiz schools and mission schools.
“Don’t play politics especially when it comes to education, worst to make it sensational which could be destructive to our long and well established harmonious society of multi-racial and ethnic with mutual respect to religious beliefs practised by Malaysians since the formation of Malaysia in 1963,” said Foo in a statement.
He pointed out that in Sarawak, Chinese independent schools have been receiving annual grants from the Sarawak government since the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem was the chief minister and this continues under his successor Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said the grants were given with RM1 million increment yearly since 2014, with a grand total sum of RM52 million from 2014 to 2021, starting in 2014 with RM 3 million, 2015 (RM 4 million), 2016 (RM 5million), 2017 (RM 6 million), 2018 (RM 7 million), 2019 (RM 8 million), 2020 (RM 9 million) and 2021 (RM 10 million).
On Sunday, Malaysiakini reported that Ahmad Fadhli had requested an explanation from the Education Ministry on the allocation of RM15 million to Chinese independent schools.
Ahmad Fadhli, who is Pasir Mas MP, also questioned how much allocation was channelled to private Islamic schools.
“I have sent questions for Ministers’ Question Time (MQT) which is scheduled every Tuesday and Thursday during parliamentary sessions.
“If the question arises, we are waiting for the education minister’s answer. In any case, it is an issue that needs clarification,” he had said in a Facebook post.
Earlier, Malaysiakini reported that the Finance Ministry had approved an allocation of RM15 million to 63 Chinese private schools nationwide.
The matter was revealed by Dong Zong president Tan Tai Kim to Malaysiakini and confirmed by Deputy Education Minister Datuk Mah Hang Soon.
“On Sept 23, the Finance Ministry informed that an allocation of RM15 million will be provided for 63 Chinese private schools,” Tan had said.