23.5M for BMHS, Why Not for 65 SJK(C) in Melaka?

Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng In Petaling Jaya On 26.3.2007.

If Bukit Mertajam High School Can Get A Special RM 23.5 Million Development Allocation Under The 9th Malaysian Plan(9MP), Why Is It That MCA Can Not Even Obtain This Amount For The 65 Chinese Primary Schools In Melaka?

MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting must explain to the Chinese community in Melaka in general and Machap in particular why if Bukit Mertajam High School (BMHS) can get a special RM 23.5 million development allocation under the 9MP, why is it that MCA can not even obtain this amount for the 65 Chinese primary schools in Melaka?

In January this year, Prime Minister, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced that the government is allocating RM20 million under the 9MP for the redevelopment of his alma mater BMHS in Penang, to build a new hostel, teachers' quarters, a sports pavilion and a laboratory. There's an additional RM3.5 million for the restoration work for the block of the BMHS.

Whilst DAP does not begrudge the use of public funds to invest in education, questions are asked what is so special about BMHS that it gets singled out for such a special allocation of RM 23.5 million, which is not available to other schools. MCA can not even obtain RM 23.5 million in development funds for the 65 Chinese primary schools undr the 9MP. Why is it Chinese primary schools which are in dire need of development funds for new Chinese primary schools not treated equally?

Development allocation to Chinese primary schools and Tamil primary schools is a lowly RM 174.3 million and RM 64.8 million under the 9th Malaysian Plan out of a total of RM 4,837.3 million. For Chinese primary schools, this is only 3.6% of the total allocation even though they comprise 21.2% of the total primary school enrolment as shown by the table below.

Out of the RM 174.3 million, we do not know how much Melaka's 65 Chinese primary schools will get under the 9MP. Based on the total number of 1,288 Chinese primary schools sharing the RM 174.3 million proportionately, Melaka's 65 Chinese primary schools would only receive RM 8.75 million – far below the RM 23.5 million allocated to one school, the Prime Minister's own school of BMHS.

Total Number of Primary School Students In 2005 And Development Allocation Under the Ninth Malaysian Plan (Click to enlarge image)



Machap Voters Should Play A Historic Role in Rejecting Beggar Politics And Demand A Change In BN's Education Policy Towards Chinese And Tamil Primary Schools By Demanding A Fair Development Allocation Based On Student Population To Build More Schools.

Justice and fairness requires Chinese and Tamil primary schools to receive RM 1,025.5 million ( 21.2%) and RM 154.8 million (3.2%) respectively based on student population. However (as the table underneath shows), Chinese primary schools only receive RM 174.3 million or 3.6% ( a shortfall of RM 851.2 million) and Tamil primary schools RM 64.8 million or 1.3% of the total development allocation for primary schools under the 9MP.

DAP expressed regrets that early this month, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim highlighted in all major Chinese dailies the disbursementt of RM1.4 million for school refurbishment and extension projects to 248 Chinese primary schools last year, the highest since 2001. This amount given to 248
Chinese primary schools is not even 5% of that given to one school in BMHS. By making a big deal of RM 1.4 million when we should be seeking to restore the shortfall of RM 851 million, MCA is subscribing to UMNO's beggar politics.

The time has come for the Chinese community and Machap voters to stop being treated like beggars. Machap voters should play a historic role to seek a change in BN's mother-tongue education policy towards Chinese and Tamil primary schools by demanding a fair development allocation based on student population to build more schools.

How discriminatory the treatment towards Chinese primary schools can be shown when the development allocation works out to only RM 4.50 per Chinese primary school student per month as compared to RM 33.30 per student per month for each national primary school student? The Chinese community can not be faulted for asking why a national primary school student should receive more than 7 times in development funds than a Chinese primary school student if everyone is a Malaysian citizen enjoying equal political rights.

LIM GUAN ENG