The Malaysian Insight

CHINESE education group Dong Zong is racist as it was always opposing the government’s efforts to foster unity, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

He hit out at the Chinese education group that had in the past opposed an inclusive education system that put pupils of all races together in a single campus.

Most recently, Dong Zong, or the United Chinese School Committees Association, has been a vocal critic of the plan to teach Jawi and khat to Year Four pupils in Chinese schools.

“Dong Zong is racist. (Previously) the government introduced a single campus for Wawasan, Chinese, Tamil and national schools,” ,” the prime minister said in Langkawi today.

“But they (Dong Zong) were against it. They were afraid their children will mix with the Malay students. They do not like the Malays.

“They are against everything. They never agree to anything the government proposes.”

Dr Mahathir also questioned the timing of Dong Zong’s objection to khat lessons.

“This was approved in 2012, during the last administration. Why didn’t Dong Zong object to it then? Why only now?

“(It’s because) now they are free to object. Previously they would have been thrown in jail for protesting.”

He said Barisan Nasional made policies to please certain segments.

“This khat policy was approved to please the Malays… to the Chinese, they said something else which the community wanted to hear.

“We will not do that.”

The prime minister said his cabinet went through all the decisions made by the previous government.

“Everything goes through the cabinet, and the cabinet makes a decision. The debates among the cabinet are not revealed to the public.” – August 12, 2019.