The Day No One Listened To Rakyat

Please read here on MCA's proposal to fine tune the PPSMI policy.

What I don’t quite understand is that why MCA is barking on this now, not when the proposed changes where tabled at the cabinet meeting. As far as I am aware, they were previously against teaching of Science and Math in English and never proposed any alternative to boost English. Why now when the DPM says that the decision is final. Perhaps they are doing this further to severe backlash from parents as evident from many polls conducted recently, including those tens of thousands in Dr Mahathir’s blog.

This is what happens when politicians listens too much to NGOs and racist education groups. The same applies to Tamil education groups and headmasters. The same group of Tamil School Headmasters, who agreed to the policy change in 2003, reportedly welcome the policy change announced by DPM together with the mindless politicians in MIC.

We also hear grouses by DAP and others who are not so happy with the transition that is to take place in 2012 affecting students, especially those in form 4. Again why is this never brought up when they were busy protesting the PPSMI policies in cahorts with the Chinese Educations Groups, NGOs and fellow partners in Pakatan Rakyat. What is the difference if the policy is reversed effective next year or even immediately as proposed by Chinese Education Groups.

Everyone says” do not politicise education” but everybody, including BN and Pakatan Rakyat politicised the PPSMI issue to the hilt. Pakatan Rakyat even lead a march towards Istana Negara opposing the policy together with members of NGO, so-called nationalist and Tamil and Chinese education group.  

When faced with backlash from parents, they now offer various forms of protest in disguise when the policy is finally overturned. Where was Lim Kit Siang when Anwar Ibrahim led the so-called 100,000 people gathering the protest in KL on March 2009?

These politicians (including BN) , NGOs and Educations groups monopolised the rountable discussions with the Education Ministry and deprived parents of their views. As Dr Mahathir’s blog has proven, majority urban parents would like the policy to continue. The mistake is that Dr Mahathir failed to undertake such a poll before the policy change was announced.  

How come none of the so-called education groups or nationalist spoke about almost 70,000 non-Chinese students (Majority are Malays) who are enrolled in Chinese schools.Why is that it’s fine for them to study Maths and Science in Mandarin in Chinese schools as opposed to English? This was deliberately and conveniently left out from the public discussion.  

The same applies to Malaysians whose mother tongue is other than Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin or Tamil such as Bajau, Dusun,Dayaks, Ibans, Bidayus, Punjabis, Malayalees, Telugus, even kelantanese and various ethnic groups in Sabah and Sarawak. Why is that these groups were left out and where were the defenders of the monority?

As a parent and employer, I feel disgusted and dissapointed with the failure of politicians (BN and Pakatan), so-called nationalist and education groups to listen to people. At least a referendum should have been undertaken, no matter how complicated the process could have been or the matter should have been left to vote by Parents Teachers Association of every school so that they decide and excess English teachers could have been redistributed accordingly elsewhere. 

As for Pakatan Rakyat, this is certainly not a win for  Makkal Sakhti (people’s power).