SIBU: The Chinese education system in Malaysia has weathered through many storms to emerge as what it is today.
“Since independence, Malaysia, as a multi-racial nation, has in the Federal Constitution guaranteed the people the right to education in their mother tongue.
“In a multi-racial country, a single-stream linguistic school system will not work. We must respect what is guaranteed to us constitutionally,” said Temenggong Vincent Lau.
Lau was speaking at a farewell dinner organised by SJK(C) Su Lai for its deputy headmistress Ngiam Kim Phong on Monday night who will be retiring.
For this reason, he said vernacular primary schools have played a leading role in the country’s education system.
“I call upon the government to continue working towards this common understanding and to prevent the stirring of sentiments to promote mutual understanding and solidarity,” he added.
He said education is a cultural development mechanism; it needs the teachers to promote both the national multi-racial harmony as well as the promotion of their individual culture.
On the farewell dinner, Lau, who is the school’s board management chairman, said that Ngiam has been fully committed towards the development of the school, as well as the academic achievements of its students.
“She has given her best and I pay tribute to her and all the teachers who have been committed in the development of Chinese education,” he said.
Ngiam, who hails from Mukah, has been in the teaching profession for 38 years and was posted to SJK(C) Su Lai in 2003. Her first posting was in Sri Aman at SJK Chung Hua in 1981.
