Is MCA a disguised opposition party?

A Chinese school alumnus testifies to the nonsense coming from Umno's Azli.

Through the years, we’ve heard many calls for the abolition of vernacular education in Malaysia, but none has been so full of nonsense as the one recently uttered by Umno’s Mohamad Azli Mohemed Saad.

A news report quoted Azli as saying, “Many are of the opinion that Chinese vernacular schools have been exploited by opposition parties to incite hatred towards other races and to spread racial and anti-government sentiments.”

Let me state what I believe would be the reaction of many students and former students of Chinese schools.

In all the 11 years that I was a Chinese school pupil, the only politicians who ever came visiting – sometimes to give speeches – were from MCA. Not once did someone from an opposition party show up. So, unless MCA is an opposition party in disguise, I don’t see how Chinese vernacular schools can be exploited by opposition parties.

Not once did any member of the school administration say anything that smelled of politics. Well, I’m exaggerating a bit here. Our school principal did say something political once. He advised students against attending the 2012 Bersih rally. But I don’t think this meant that our school was “exploited by opposition parties to spread anti-government sentiments.”

Is there “hatred towards other races” in Chinese schools? No politician who has ever visited a Chinese school would say anything like that if he or she were honest. When I was in secondary school, there were some non-Chinese students among us (Malays, Indians, etc.) and they were the most popular in the student community. Everyone knew them and everyone liked them. They were well accepted by everyone, including the teachers.

The teachers were professionals; they knew what they should and should not do as educators and were clearly aware of their boundaries. They never brought up politics in class and were always reluctant to discuss political issues even outside class and even when prompted by students. In fact, this often annoyed some students who were keen to get into political discussions.

So why do pupils and former pupils of Chinese schools appear to be politically aware and inclined to the opposition parties? Chinese schools do not suppress intellectual discussions, and this is what all schools should do.

Furthermore, young people today, whether or not they come from Chinese schools, are more politically aware than their forebears of how big a role politics plays in their lives.

Look at Hong Kong. Who are the leaders of the Occupy Central movement? Students. They have a 17-year-old leading a democracy movement.

A handful of students who are politically aware can cause many others to be politically aware. And this is exactly the case in Chinese vernacular schools.

You might ask: why doesn’t this happen in national schools? There is one obvious answer: national schools suppress intellectual political discussions among students. But with a stronger will and desire, this can easily change. And when that time comes, will politicians call for the abolition of national schools? Maybe they would want an illiterate Malaysia because that will ensure the security of their high positions.

But whatever the situation, it is the students who are making the difference, not the schools. So abolishing Chinese schools would not stop the spread of anti-government sentiments. It will embolden it instead. When people are suppressed, they tend to fight back. A good example is how the Hong Kong protesters appeared in even larger numbers when the police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the demonstration. What will our police force do then? Arrest every student under the Sedition Act? I wouldn’t be surprised.

In a nutshell, Chinese vernacular schools are not exploited by any quarter, and neither do the schools breed racial hatred or anti-government sentiments. Racial sentiments are a non-issue here. It is the political awareness of students that is causing politicians to be constantly watching their backs. And they are making calls to abolish vernacular schools in fear of the power of students.