Government To Proceed With PPPM Despite Objections – Idris
SHAH ALAM: The Malaysian Education Development Plan (PPPM) will be implemented despite facing continuous opposition from the United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) which plans to take legal action against the Education Ministry.
Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said the ministry would not delay the implementation of the plan as it has been studied from all aspects and had obtained views from various parties, both locally and abroad.
“If we withdraw parts here and there, the plan will not succeed. The government will continue to implement the programme as launched on Sept 6, by Deputy Prime Minister cum Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin,” he told reporters after participating in a dialogue on ‘PPPM – A Perspective’ here, on Tuesday.
Idris was commenting on Dong Zong’s proposal to hold a peaceful assembly if the plan was seen as adversely affecting the position of the Chinese language in national education.
On Dong Zong’s action, Idris said the government could not satisfy all parties and what was important was to implement programmes for the good of the people and the country.
“We will implement whatever that is the best in line with the national education philosophy. Not everyone agrees…if some people say our education system is not good and he is sending his children overseas, we will not stop him from doing so.
“But for our country, the government must ensure we give the best we can afford,” Idris said.
Earlier at the dialogue session, Idris said PPPM which covered the period from 2013 to 2025 has the primary objective of moving the national education system to the top 30 per cent in the world.
“Through PPPM, the government will ensure national schools will become the school of choice without marginalising vernacular schools,” he said.
Elaborating on worries that the education system changes with a change in the ministry leadership, Idris said the plan was for 2013-2025 and as such these anxieties did not arise.
Meanwhile, in Seremban, Idris said all parties should stop the racial perception on any incidents in schools involving teachers and students of different races.
He said the incidents which took place were actually not due to racial differences but was deliberately played up by certain parties until they create uneasy feeling among the different races.
Idris was commenting on the incident at Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana, Sungai Buloh, Selangor in which pupils were found eating in the changing room in July.
“I see people trying to inflame the issue. ‘Enough is enough’,” he told reporters after launching the Malaysian Tourism and Hospitality Education Centre (MyCenTHE) at the East West International College, here, on Tuesday.
- BERNAMA
