Chong Hwa issue linked to politics

PETALING JAYA: Politics is involved in the Pahang Education Department’s earlier decision to prevent the Kuantan Chong Hwa High School from conducting the UEC examination, former Dong Zhong law consultant Kua Zhu Zhen said yesterday.

Kua said it had always been the government which gave permission to Chinese schools to conduct the UEC examination, not Dong Zhong.

He said Dong Zhong should have helped Kuantan Chong Hwa to conduct the UEC examination instead of hindering them to gain approval by using the government.

“The law does not say only independent Chinese schools are allowed to conduct the UEC examination,” said Kua.

Dong Zhong had claimed that Kuantan Chong Hwa was not an independent Chinese school.

Kua said Chinese education had always been linked to politics.

“The decision by the Education Ministry to retract the letter issued by the state education department is an example,” he added.

Kua said many parents sent their children to Kuantan Chong Hwa because it had a good education system.

He said the first batch of Kuantan Chong Hwa students would only be sitting for the UEC in 2016 and there could be many issues arising during this period.

Meanwhile, the MCA National Public Services and Complaints Bureau director Teoh Sew Hock urged Dong Zhong to welcome the state education department’s decision to allow the school students to sit for the UEC examination.

Teoh said Dong Zhong should not use Kuantan Chong Hwa’s status as an excuse because it had been confirmed it is an independent school when the Education Ministry retracted the letter.

He urged the ministry to probe why the state education department issued the letter to the school.