Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister in the Malaysian Cabinet, recently told in an event that, BN led Govt had built 600 Tamil Schools so far (Source : Bernama). But according to the statistics, in past 53 years, numbers of Tamil schools decreased from 888 to 523. Which means, averagely 7 Tamil schools closed per year in past 50 years due to various reasons. One of the often reason said to be contribute to such situation is "lack of students" in these schools, and due to that reason, the schools must be closed.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
These 888 Tamil Schools (including the remaining 523) does exist since British colonials time. So, practically after the Independence, the Govt or BN led Govt to say accurately, had never issued any license for new Tamil school to be built. I don't understand, how DPM Muhyiddin Yassin said BN has built 600 Tamil schools in past 50 years, when the fact is BN Govt had closed 365 Tamil Schools in past 5o years. Even if Muhyiddin statement was to say, "the govt had repaired or upgraded these schools", it is still not accurate as there is no 600 Tamil Schools, and not all the remaining Tamil schools are in good condition for students to study. To be specific, some schools are operating from container cabins, shop lot, stables and so on. After many years, one school that operating from such cabin is to be rebuilt by Ministry of Education on the land that State Govt allocated is Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Ladang Batu Kawan.
The first Tamil School in Malaya or Malaysia operated from Penang Free School, in 1816
History of Tamil Schools in Malaysia started in colonial period, where British brought laborers, mainly Tamils from South India to work in the Rubber Estates of Malaya. Almost every Estate that Indians was staying then, there used to be Tamil Schools. The first Tamil School in Malaysia (or Malaya) started to operate in Penang Free School in 1816. Total numbers of Tamil Schools prior to Independence of Malaya estimated at 1000 over. In 1957, the year that Malaya liberated from British Colonialist, there were 888 Tamil Schools in Malaya. Over the years, though student’s enrollment into Tamil Schools increased, numbers of Tamil Schools decreased. One by one Tamil schools closed citing the reason of not met with minimum required students in a School. Such situations caused by the migration of Indians from Rural Estates into Urban Townships and Semi urban townships. In this case the Govt never took an initiative to relocate these Tamil schools in the areas where Indian population is more. But, the Govt took that chance to wipe out Tamil Schools one after one.
For MIC, It was vital to build an University (with community's money) rather than looking after "poor" Tamil Schools!
If Govt had relocated these Tamil Schools with small number of students to Indian populated area, the number of Tamil Schools should have remained the same by now. But, BN led Govt decided to close one by one of this Tamil Schools. In the name of promoting "National Schools", Govt had sidelined the vernacular education, though the demand was there. This is how, UMNO led BN Govt had contributed to the most Tamil Schools closure. If BN was really serious in helping Tamil Schools and keep the vernacular education system, they wouldn't have contributed to the closures of the schools. In estates, when Tamil schools are being closed because of insufficient students, the School licenses lapse. MIC in past years had never serious in securing these school licenses by requesting to relocate the licenses to build Tamil Schools in Indian populated area. MIC in past years was busy raising funds for their 'so called' education establishments (MIED, AIMST), but never cared about the Tamil Schools. Should they had any care towards Tamil Schools, they wouldn't had let the Licenses to lapse. In fact MIC welcomed when Ministry of Education cancelling one by one the licenses, by merging two Tamil schools with small number of students to become one school. This "merging" process reduced number of Tamil schools drastically. MIC should have requested for these licenses to be transferred to Indian populated area.
SJK (C) Ladang Harcroft, Puchong, Selangor
MIC Leaders might say, this is an impossible task, but it is not impossible at all! If that can be done with Chinese Schools, why can't with Tamil Schools? For example, Ladang Harcroft Chinese Primary School in Puchong. A School with modern facilities; a great place for students to study! Ladang Harcroft is originally located in Perak . But this Ladang Harcroft Chinese Primary school is in Center of Puchong, in the state of Selangor. I assume the school addressed the same "insufficient students" problem and forced to close down, but the license was kept alive by transferring it to a place where there is demand for Chinese School, and a Property Development Company built the school building for worth of RM5 Million in a place where majority of Chinese stays. Whatever we say about MCA, but as a BN coalition partner, they managed to convince the big brother UMNO to transfer the school licenses and the community build the schools by themselves. While MIC was busy raising funds from the already poor Indian community, to build International Institutes to enrich the few in MIC! MIC failed to address the basic primary education problem but built an University. This could be the joke but nothing.
Brief Comparison
Not all the remaining Tamil Schools in Malaysia are in good condition and not all Tamil Schools are fully Govt aided Tamil Schools. Though mother tongue education is a basic right of a Citizen and any Govt has the responsibility to fund the education, in Malaysia, in name of "excelling" the National Schools, Govt is suppressing the vernacular Education, especially Tamil and Chinese Schools. As a self sufficient community, Chinese Community able to keep up the pace with Fully Govt aided National School in terms of education and sports excellence. While already poor Indian community solely relying on Govt to build their Tamil Schools, while their "so called" reps in Govt has to beg to the UMNO's Education Minister to rebuild the Schools in worse condition. Many Tamil School identified as in pathetic and unfit to occupy conditions. There was one Tamil School in Penang, which operated in the basement of a fun club. And there is Tamil School operating from a shoplot, container cabin, stables and so on. No parent will let the children to study in such circumstances unless there is no other choice left for them. We might blame the parents for not sending their children to Tamil Schools but to a Sekolah Kebangsaan. But with Tamil Schools' pathetic condition, we really shouldn't blame them. MIC has to beg everytime to their UMNO masters to build a new building for these schools and they hardly succeed in it.
Ladang Batu Kawan Tamil School is being operated in Container Cabins for past 9 years, since the school building razed down in fire. DPM Muhyiddin told, the school has to wait for another 2 years for new building
Latest scenario in regards to Tamil School is a drama staged by DPM Muhyiddin Yassin in Batu Kawan, on 17th September 2011, where he said Federal Govt had allocated RM 6.3 Million to build the new Building of SJK (T) Ladang Batu Kawan, which is currently operating from Former Estate Clerks Quarters. Few days earlier, MIC Minister Datuk Subramaniam held a Press Conference in the School and said, Ministry of Education allocated 1.7 Million Ringgit to build the School Building with 6 Classrooms, Office, Teachers Room, Computer Room and Science Lab. Meanwhile, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced 6.3 Million Ringgit allocation and it is 8 classrooms and the other same facilities. To build just 2 more extra classrooms will cost 4.6 Million Ringgit more? or every of the classrooms will look like a Five Star Hotel Suite? Who is Muhyiddin trying to fool here? Furthermore, Penang State Govt had allocated 2 acre land to the school. Since, Batu Kawan is a developing area, with projects such as second link and so on, certainly more Indian families will move in to Batu Kawan. Currently only few of the parents sending their children to this school. But, if new building with perfect infrastructures built, there is hope for other Indians to send their children to this school too. And DPM Muhyiddin reported to said, the School will be built in another two years. Why is it another 2 years? Or this is another empty election promise of BN? Ladang Batu Kawan Tamil School burnt down 9 years ago. Since then the students are studying in this makeshift classrooms. If this was a Sekolah Kebangsaan even in a rural Kampung, would Govt had waited this long? Just because it is a Tamil School, the pupils are waiting. They waited for 10 years and now for another 2 years?
So why the UMNO Govt is throwing crumbs when it comes to Tamil Schools? And why MIC never had the guts to fight back and must knee down and thank UMNO many times for the crumbs that they throw?
Answer is simple :
Muhyiddin, like other UMNO Leaders, thinks Indians are FOOLS forever! It is because the MIC, "so called" Indians Rep in Govt remaining fool, even after 50 years!
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