'Chinese schools sow racism': Prof doubles down, says Teresa in denial
Teo Kok Seong has defended his charge that Chinese schools propagate racism, which led to DAP lawmaker Teresa Kok calling for the police to investigate the principal fellow with the National Professors Council.
Speaking to Malaysiakini, he also said Kok was in “denial” over the realities among the Chinese Malaysian community.
Vernacular schools are not the stumbling blocks to national unity. If having a common eduacation system is the answer, then why is the United States of America such a divided country. The Africans who went as slaves were assimilated forcefully or otherswise. Do the African Americans feel the same way as the White Americans? Do the White Americans accept African Americans as equals? Down deep inside.
I will start off by reciting the dictionary meaning of racism, which is "prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism by an individual, community, or institution against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalised". Let's look first at what happens to non Chinese students in Chinese vernacular schools. They are not marginalised nor discriminated against while at the school, they are most definitely not asked to eat next to the toilet; and there is no demand that they assimilate with chinese culture while they are there at the risk of being marginalised or even ostracised. If there was discrimination or racism (against non chinese students) in chinese vernacular schools, we would have most certainly heard of it very loudly numerous times from the mainstream press or from Malay/Muslim politicians by now. Equally crucial is why have we not heard from non chinese alumni of these schools any confirmation that indeed racism or discrimination is sowed there? So Mr. Professor, where is the evidence that Chinese schools sow racism? Why do non chinese parents continue to send their precious children to these schools in increasing numbers despite the innumerable attempts to discredit and paint these schools in a bad light through statements such as the one made by this professor and politicians over the decades? There have also been numerous failed attempts to declare these schools as illegal and unconstitutional. If indeed there was solid, credible evidence that these schools sow racism, no doubt these attempts in the courts right up to the highest level would have been met with resounding success by now. Now let's look at what happens in Malaysia as a whole in the context of that dictionary definition. Who is actually being marginalised and discriminated against? In education, particulary in places in local tertiary education and government scholarships for students who have excelled in their secondary education. In the Civil Service in all fields, both in recruitment and also promotions, in government policy in promoting business and advancing the Malaysian economy as a whole, who can deny that government policy is biased and blatantly discriminatory in favour of a particular race? True meritocracy has been abandoned a long, long time ago. Sowing racism? It happens and is practiced every day in Malaysia and is even encouraged as long as it's in favour of a particular majority (not minority) race. Yes, indeed there is racism sowed in Malaysia, with the true picture being the total opposite of the lie that this so called professor is advancing.
Truth hurts!…
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