Heed CM’s call to edit History textbooks, Putrajaya urged

0

KUCHING: Putrajaya has been urged to heed the recent call of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem to edit History textbooks to include the contributions of all races in the formation of Malaysia and its development.

Chairman of Sarawak United Association of Chinese School Boards of Management, Datuk Pau Chiong Ung, in making the appeal yesterday, said he concurred with ‘Adenan’s right mindset’ and hoped that the Ministry of Education (MoE) would act on the suggestion.

“MoE should seriously consider what has been raised by our chief minister during the recent interview with TV3, and do something about it. The contributions of the forefathers of both Sarawak and Sabah should not be omitted from our History textbooks.

“I concur that our History textbooks should not just focus on the history and development of Peninsular Malaysia and the Malay community,” he said at an award presentation held at The Mandarin in iCom Square here.

Pau asserted that Chinese education in the country had been extensively developed over the years, but this would not happen without real struggles from a number of founding figures.

He said a few educationists had even been imprisoned for defending Chinese education in Malaysia.

“Such is the tough journey that Chinese education in Malaysia has gone through. We must keep up with what our forefathers in Chinese education have achieved.”

On the United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong), Pau hoped the new leadership would restore the representation from Sabah, Terengganu and Selangor.

Of late, the Home Ministry announced that it would not de-register Dong Zong while acknowledging the newly-elected officer bearers.

“The new line-up is being accepted by the Home Ministry. But I urge the new leadership to bring back Sabah, Terengganu and Selangor to the big family of Dong Zong, so that together we can fight for the betterment of Chinese independent schools.”

Sabah, Terengganu and Selangor are the only three state affiliates of Dong Zong not present at the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) held in Kajang on Aug 23 to solve the prolonged leadership crisis.