Sin tax to fund Chinese schools?

A proposal by a MCA delegate to use 20% of alchohol and gambling taxes as additional allocation for Chinese education will be considered by the party’s new Central Committee.

"We will take the proposal into consideration, along with all other proposals raised during the debates. We want to forward proposals to the government that it can actually implement," said newly-minted party president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

Earlier, Parit Sulong central delegate Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew made the proposal to deal with funding issues for Chinese schools, which has long been a contentious issue for the community.

"The biggest problem of Chinese education is allocation. I urge this general assembly to push for 20 per cent of all taxes collected from alcohol and gambling to be used as additional allocation for Chinese education," he said.

Meanwhile, former Deputy Education Minister and MCA deputy president Datuk Wee Ka Siong said Lee's proposal "makes sense".

However, he said it was entirely up to the government to decide on the source of funds to increase allocation for Chinese schools.

"The argument is that since only the Chinese and the non-Muslims contribute to sin taxes, it is not controversial since it's going to Chinese schools," he told reporters.

Whatever the source, he said, the “the bottom line” was that allocations for Chinese schools must be increased.