Why, especially the non-Malays are shifting away from the national schools? Well, I think everyone knows the answer.
To say that the Chinese and Indians prefer vernacular schools is total bullshit. If you go back to the 60s and 70s, many of these vernacular schools were on the verge of being closed down. When I was in a national school in the 80s, there were good mixture of all races. So, What happened?
Well, again you have to ask the politicians. Politicisation of the education system started towards the end of 1970s and became full-fledged in the late 1980s and early 1990s. What are the problems?:
1) Poor quality of teachers: teachers being absorbed without any merit
2) Unemployed graduates being absorbed as teachers just to get a job, no commitment necessary
3) Islamization and Malaynisation of the schools. Saying “Doas” and prayers during assembly!. “Doas” and arabic words all over the school compounds!
4)discrimination of non-malay students in classroom and activities. In my son’s school, the agama teacher gave free makan to all Muslim students in the canteen during recess while all the non-Muslim students just watched!!
5) Teachers that do not respect other races and religions. Giving remarks that hurt the feelings of other races.
6) Quota system for the post for Headmasters in national schools : if you don’t believe me please ask your local education department. In my state, only 3-4 post is allocated for non-malays
7) No equal opportunities. Even if a person were to attend a national school in the name of patriotism, is there equal opportunities in further studies? Many of my Malay friends went missing after Standard 6 as they were absorbed to MARA colleges, agama schools and boarding schools. When I reached Form 5, there were only 1 Malay student in the entire Science stream!! After that, comes matriculation which was reserved for only 1 race! Of course, not to forget the scholarship issues etc, where your friend/neighbour with worst result will be given a scholarship for overseas studies! So, why bother sending to national schools.
I received this SMS today from a friend:
“Friend’s kid in convent …. primary tells me that kids streamed according to race not merit. Only handful of non-malays in A class; Arab language (not Jawi) is compulsory. Mandarin/Tamil is not. That also only 1 token class per week and not regular. This country is a gone case”
You can judge for yourself.
Doc, it’s time to change especially in Johor which has been hardcore for current government. Need to change way of thinking. The goverment media like today will always play racial card. Today’s Utusan Meloya aka Melayu headline clearly pointing towards that… pity Malaysia with advanced infrastructure but still 3rd word mentality
Yup, you are right! I saw today’s Utusan Merapu. There is nothing wrong with what Tony Pua has said. Why people who can affod luxury bungalows and Semi-Ds need discount? Discounts should be based on need and not so called UMNO rights!
If you ask my opinion, 1Malaysia concept mooted by our PM Najib will NEVER EVER gonna work until government is bold enough to have a single education system doing away with vernacular school system.
Good day doctor,
Im a Malay and I agreed with your post. I agreed that we should have single education system where discrimination in race should be eliminated. Anyway do not blame our current government boldness or what, because the main problem here is the mentality of my race itself. We are just too scared of losing our so called ‘power’, till we cant see the better future if we take the other way instead.
Thanks for your comment but as long as we have racial politics in Malaysia, things will never change!
Good day Doc,
I’m an Indian and i did get an opportunity to study in MRSM (Mara Junior Science College). i agree that discrimination is never going to end til the single education system is applied..
really hurting when we non-bumi students in the college often got ignored in the activities with the same single sentence:
SORRY, YOU ARE NOT A MALAY.. they only pin the 1Malaysia button to their chest but never gave real respect to them…
Pathetic..
hye doc,
im malay and a student.. i tried to get along with chinese students but yeahhh we quite awkward to get closer along..
but they seems dun want to befriend with.
but yeah its true the interracial relationship shud be strengthen started from schools.it will be better in future,hopes
dr, you are 200% correct. i agree with you. this 1malaysia is total rubbish. The current goverment is guilty of segregating the races. first, they practise race base politics, next they set up special school, colleges, universities for people of certain type of race only. for example UMNO sets up MARA n Uitm for malays only, then we have TAR college for chinese, not to be missed out MIC sets up AIMST and Manipal to help the indian to achieve their dreams to be doctors (every indian wants at least their son to be a doctor, i was told) . and if thats not enough i can hear the politician shouting ‘Ketuanan melayu’. i wonder if these politician study their history lesson. history writes that all our sultan are not malays. parameswara and sang nila utama was from indonesia and they are of indian origin. and we also have a white Rajah brooke who once rule Sarawak. We should abolished race base politics and fight for the rakyats right. we should all be united as one Malaysian. and that means not 3 malaysian races.
totally agree with you…in my view…politics(especially racist,a lot of them) really destroys our education quality…look at other countries,,they didn’t mixed politics with education..maybe thats why their education is way better and more evolved than ours….=)