Dont pin blame on mother-tongue education -- MCA Youth's Wee.

The call by the Malay-Muslim Consumer Association for a single stream education system is extremist and inflammatory in nature. MCA Youth will not tolerate this and will lodge a police report against them as their remarks could undermine racial harmony.

They, along with another 120 NGOs, had slighted the emotions of the Chinese by issuing a joint statement urging the government to close down all vernacular schools and to regulate all private school materials and claiming that is doing so racial unity can be achieved. Before this, this coalition of NGOs had also called for a boycott of Chinese businesses.

It is regretful that there are still a handful of people who are still calling for the abolition of mother-tongue education and bringing up the issue of a single stream education system, as they believe that national unity can be achieved if everyone learns in the same language. This shallow-minded thinking of theirs is wrong and they are only attempting to pin the blame on mother tongue education.

Such accusations are unfair to Malaysians of all races. As long as the government continues to implement policies and measures which are fair to all races, they will continue to support the government and be proud to call themselves Malaysians. This will then lead to national unity.

Nobody should try to create confrontations by oversimplifying the problem of national unity by blaming it on mother-tongue education.

Besides that, the Federal Constitution provides for mother-tongue education under Article 152, which allows for the teaching and learning of other languages without any prohibition. This right has been enshrined in the Federal Constitution, and as such, it is only reasonable that all schools regardless of its background be treated fairly.

Any move to question or obstruct the learning of mother-tongue education is disrespectful to the basic rights of the various communities in Malaysia. Thus, these groups should be severely condemned and be investigated by the police.

Malaysia is a nation of many diverse races, and the origins of vernacular schools reflect this trait. Moreover, about 14% of non-Chinese also study in Chinese schools. Therefore, instead of condemning vernacular education, it should be looked at as a model for national unity where all races can learn together.

The actions of these narrow minded persons in publishing and disseminating racial polarisation runs in contrast to Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Razak’s call for 1Malaysia. If these groups are allowed to continue making racist remarks, this can create wider racial gaps and will ultimately destroy our country.