Budget 2007 (II): Unity or Segregation?

As mentioned in the earlier post on an overview of the budget, I have stated that it is a decent budget, which actually exceeded my personal expectations. After all, my expectations would have been fairly moderate given the lack lusture and somewhat unexciting budgets of the preview few years under Pak Lah's administration.

However, there are always room for improvements . Specifically in the education and training segments - I'll like to offer my penny's worth on 4 key 'constructive criticisms', starting first on this post with regards to "National Unity or Segregation".

I have written recently in my Merdeka post "49: Older, Not Wiser?" on the emphasis given to national unity highlighted in the 9th Malaysian Plan (9MP).

In Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi's foreword, he stated that the "National Mission underscores the need to pursue programmes that enhance the nation’s capability to compete globally, to strengthen national unity and to bring about a better distribution of income and wealth and higher quality of life among the people."

And amongst the "first steps" in National Mission extensive effort will be made to achieve the "overriding objective of the nation, that is national unity and integration."

I'm disappointed to the extent that there was absolutely no specific mention of "national unity" at all in the Prime Minister's 30-page long budget speech in Parliament, despite a few mentions in relation to the "National Mission". Is it then still a priority to the current government, which seems to be embroiled in several racial issues at this point of time?

In addition to that, and as highlighted in the earlier post on the budget, both the speech and the Economic Report 2006/7 made mention of specific substantial allocations to Mara colleges, institutions and colleges.

To accommodate this increase, 22 new primary and secondary schools will be operational next year, while an additional 198 schools will be built, including fully residential secondary schools. For this, about RM1 billion is allocated. At the same time, RM90 million is allocated for the construction of two new Maktab Rendah Sains MARA (MRSM) and for the purchase of equipment for existing MRSM facilities.

...214 million for programmes under MARA including Mara Skills Training Institutes, Advnaced Skills Training Institutes, Giat MARA programme and Universiti Kuala Lumpur. Budget Speech 2007

A higher increase of 38.5% was allocated for educational infrastructure including the construction of pre-schools and primary schools, 12 Mara Junior Science Colleges, University Kuala Lumpur and 22 industrial training institutes. Economic Report 2006/7

While many would argue on the inherent discrimination and injustice in the substantial allocations to institutions and programmes which specifically benefits only the bumiputeras - akin to first class travel for bumiputeras and budget seats for non-bumiputeras, I'd like to focus on its impact on national unity.

As reported in Malaysiakini yesterday - "House erupts over Chinese schools", there was a heated debate on the role in which the existence Chinese primary schools hinder the promotion of national unity in Malaysia. While "officially" denying that it was the government's stand, it is clear from the governments policies in non-allocation for additional Chinese primary schools that they are not in favour of vernacular education, despite the overwhelming demand, particularly from the Chinese community.

The questions I have for the Prime Minister, and accordingly the Ministry of Education are simple:

What is the point of attempting to foster national integration and unity at the primary schools by attempting to encourage more non-bumiputeras to enrol into national schools, when it comes to secondary schools, the Government then decides to ship off the bumiputeras to their own dedicated schools and communities?

What is the point of taking positive actions such as the teaching of mother tongues in the national primary schools commencing next year, in the hope of bring the various races and communities together under one roof, and then breaking them up again 6 years later?

While obviously not all bumiputeras get to attend the Mara Junior Science Colleges, the rate at which the government are building them, you'd soon find that all academically superior bumiputeras are segregated from the rest of the communities, leaving the less academically inclined bumiputeras in the company of Chinese and Indians in national secondary schools. The problem gets worse in Form 6, where bumiputeras attend matriculation colleges for separate entrance into the local universities.

Some might argue that a few years back, a 10% quota allocation has been provided to non-bumiputeras to attend MJSCs and matriculation colleges. Despite the fact that the quota is derisory, I have heard from unconfirmed sources in the MJSCs that the non-bumiputera community in MJSCs is no where near the 10% mark. In certain MJSCs, there are practically no non-bumiputeras allowed, including some of the best performing MJSCs.

Clearly, the Government has not been consistent in its policy for national unity and the current budget continues to demonstrate that inconsistency. Are we looking forward to the day whereby the so-called "national schools" are for non-bumiputeras while special Mara colleges are built for bumiputeras? What then is the difference from the current vernacular school system?

I'd like to repeat the quote I took from Tunku Abdul Aziz's Merdeka day article in the New Straits Times:

I place great store by equal opportunity in education, especially because it is immoral and ethically unacceptable to discriminate against innocent and vulnerable youngsters... How, in heaven’s name, can we expect them not to feel that they are from another planet? You cannot expect loyalty from impressionable young people when they feel marginalised. Equality of opportunity must be the cornerstone of national unity.

With continued segragation in educational opportunities between different races in Malaysia, true national unity will just be a mere pipe dream, no more than the self-congratulatory and staged open houses during the festive seasons.

Read also an earlier blog post on comments by Emeritus Professor Khoo Kay Kim of Universiti Malaya on the same issue here.