Is Khoo Kay Kim skillfully manipulating Chinese educational issue?

There is a need for extra sensitivity when proposals are based upon education, race and religion in multiracial society.

Ironically, a society can be ripped apart by the unwise handling of sensitive issues and causes political instability and the fall of the regime.

Khoo Kay Kim

Academically, it is not wrong for Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim to propose a restructure of the national education system to introduce a single stream system but the act can be seen as systematic usurpation of ultimate BN political power.

Undeniably, the calls for a single-stream school system would mean that vernacular schools would cease to exist and it will generate political turmoil or cause MCA especially UMNO to lose its grip on power.

Ironically, Chinese education issue is a sensitive issue of the Chinese. It remained a taboo subject since independence.


Historically, vernacular schools have existed for more than half a century and there are about 1,000 Chinese primary schools and about 500 Tamil schools in the country.

Politically, the vernacular school system in this country is an area that is extremely sensitive. Even MCA championing the cause of Chinese schools but it is claimed that due to ineffectiveness of handling the issues, the Chinese have lost confidence in MCA. Many Chinese have felt betrayed and taken advantage of by its leaders and it caused MCA lost in the general election.

Unfortunately, it is claimed that the opposition and academician have done everything they could to discredit MCA as well as BN. They know fully well that the proposal contradicted the spirit of the Federal Constitution, which guaranteed the freedom to promote and develop the vernacular school system.

In fact, it is often seen that many academician are anti-establishment and not surprisingly anti-establishment news and viewpoints can be regularly heard.

The consistency of their overt or covert anti-establishment viewpoints that can threaten the stability and usurpation of political power is most welcome by opposition.

While BN hope for popular support from the local population, what right do we have to help someone to usurpation ultimate political power of the BN government?

Mandatory inspection for vehicles above 15 years at Puspakom

New conditions under the National Automotive Policy (NAP) that makes mandatory inspection for vehicles above 15 years at Puspakom that will enforce on Jan 1.

The regulation will involve about a million vehicles, is among 18 new measures in the revised NAP to enhance the local automotive industry’s competitiveness and make for safer, more environmental-friendly and technologically sound vehicles.


Malaysia currently has 2.7 million cars on the road that are 10 years or older and the country has a very low vehicle scrap rate instead a relatively high average vehicle age.

Undeniably, to keep ill-maintained and not road worthy vehicles off the road is the responsibility of the authority, but not old ones that work perfectly especially those good roadworthy classics collector cars.

The new regulation is good for automotive industry as new car sales will go up as most people will consider it as being a longer period of ownership and resale as well as financing.

Ironically, it was claimed that the mandatory yearly inspection in order to get the road tax renewed is affecting the lower income group especially burdens used car dealers and affects their business.

The question arises: A fair sharing of the burden would have to be based on social justice, why support a policy which would have appalled them?

Dr Mahathir: Chinese parents do no want their children to mix with other races

Former premier Dr Mahathir blamed the educationists for not wanting Chinese students to mix with Malay or Indian students.

Mahathir said that only Malaysia has the unique system of having different streams of education as other countries have only one stream despite having large migrant population. He cited United States, Canada and Australia as examples.

He also pointed out that even Switzerland, which has three official languages, has an education system which provides for students to learn all three languages in the same school.

“That is why I introduced the vision school (concept), which comprises three streams in one campus. That way, students of different races can at least meet each other,” he said.

However, he said that the system was rejected and that was the reason why Malaysians cannot achieve unity.

The question arises: Should particularities of the socio-historical and cultural background be taken into account while discussing the feasibility of national unity in Malaysia or otherwise?

New reward system for civil servants

People are being rewarded unfairly can be a huge de-motivator.

Undeniably, rewarding high performance equitably should encourage higher performance.

Ironically, the emphasis on being awarded appropriately for high performance is consistently being seen as the key drivers in increasing productivity and it continues to be one of the greatest challenges.

With increased competition in the government sector, getting the best civil servants into civil services in the first place is often difficult enough.

Thus, the government will introduce a new reward system to motivate civil servants and inculcate the culture of high performance in the public sector has clear impact on governmental performance.

Imperatively, it clearly shows that the government would not tolerate mediocrity or abuse of power.