KUALA LUMPUR: MCA Youth has demanded DAP to state its stance on whether it supports multi-stream or single-stream education, following recent heated arguments among politicians about vernacular schools.
Its secretary-general Saw Yee Fung said this matter had been going on for some time and the main leaders from DAP had yet to express their stance on Umno Youth Chief Dr Akmal Salleh's call that vernacular schools be abolished.
"With Rajiv leaping at the opportunity for an open discussion with Akmal irrespective of the court's decision, does DAP agree with Bukit Gasing State Assemblyman R. Rajiv's moves?
"The Rocket (DAP) needs to declare their position as to whether it supports multi-stream education or single-stream education," she said in a statement today.
She said Malaysian courts at every level had ruled that vernacular schools were constitutional, and this issue is thereby declared closed.
She said individuals seeking to provoke a debate could be deemed to be mounting a challenge against the federal constitution and the federal court's judgement.
Saw said Dr Akmal's remarks calling for the abolition of multi-stream education and demanding the implementation of a single-stream education system highlighted his narrow-mindedness and ignorance.
"If Rajiv debates with him, the former can be construed as acknowledging that the subject of vernacular schools is debatable.
"All these actions would only enable more opportunities for those with slanted and extremist intentions to sensationalise the issue further," Saw said.
She said that as young political leaders, Dr Akmal and Rajiv should be imbued with the maturity to be aware that education was not a topic that could be toyed with or warped into a "political drama".
Instead of spending time creating issues that would affect national unity, Saw suggested Dr Akmal and Rajiv to pay more attention to the issue of youth unemployment and underemployment.
She said they could also monitor the government to uncover solutions to problems such as the inability of young adults to sustain their income, and the incremental cost of living.
"MCA Youth will never agree with any politicians or individuals who seek to exploit debates to inflame racial sentiments.
"However, if there is a debate on any issue that can promote national reforms and progress, MCA Youth will be the first to participate," she said.
On March 9, Dr Akmal Salleh called for a reassessment of the vernacular education system amid growing concerns over the polarisation and lack of cohesion among the country's multi-ethnic population.
The assessment, he said, needed to be conducted as the escalating tension stemmed from a system of separation and segregation implemented from the most basic levels of society, starting in schools.
His statement did not go down well and triggered a war of words between him and former senior DAP leader Dr P. Ramasamy who called the former deluded in thinking that the vernacular schools were the cause of racial polarisation, leading to disunity in the country.
Rajiv has offered to buy Dr Akmal coffee and have a chat over the hot topic of vernacular schools.
To the invitation, Dr Akmal later replied: "We are always open for debate or talk about the single-stream education topic. Just set the date, place and time."