Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim, University Malaya
(in favour of single education system)
(in favour of vernacular education)
This issue became a talking point again late last year when Mukhriz Mahathir called for vernacular schools to be abolished to stem racial polarisation in the country. In views echoing that, Prof Khoo suggested that the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia should consider giving up vernacular education. He suggested that vernacular schools had produced Malaysians who couldn't converse in either Bahasa Malaysia or English. His statement got some parties pretty riled up. MCA issued a strongly worded statement, saying the Prof's stand is no different from Malay extremists'.
I wanted desperately to get Dr Mahathir into the studio for this topic, knowing his stand against vernacular schools. But to no avail. So I got the Prof into the studio to explain his stand and to ask him if he had any regrets over what he'd said in view of the furore his comments had created. Nope. And to defend vernacular schools, a representative from Dong Zong who basically argued that vernacular schools isn't just about learning a language, it's about learning a culture and values. Which, to my mind, then begs the question - where should young Malaysian children go to learn how to be Malaysian?
Caveat: I've been labelled a "banana" most of my life, despite the fact that I speak decent Cantonese and a smattering of Hokkien. So I wouldn't be the first person to defend the existence of vernacular schools and I do wonder if this colours my views on this topic a litte.
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