When ex-ISA detainee M Manoharan proposed that all Malaysians born after August 31, 1957, to be accorded a Bumiputra status but without any question to the constitutional rights and privileges of Malays, many applauded & supported the proposal.
However at the same time, many questioned this proposal in light with the existence of many types for schools for Malaysians. It is a valid point.
A reader commented in Rocky’s Bru:-
Agreed when the Chinese and Indians force government to only have one National School. When among the Chinese or Indian they choose to talk National Language among them as first choice.
Another rightfully highlighted (a point which I also have my concerns):-
To those saying “Let’s Have One School for All Malaysian”: No problem, babe. Anytime
First are you willing to raise the education standard in Malay-based schools to the level seen in Chinese schools first? If you keep the standard dumbed-down, how do you expect the non-Malays to fully embrace the One School concept?
If you want a One School for All Malaysians concept, then compete. Make these schools clean, safe, have proper facilities and have a high-level of educational and teaching standard. UMNO don’t just talk. Invest our tax-funded public money to do this. If the standards are up, then automatically people will go to One Schools.
I for one support the notion of 1Sekolah for all – that everyone goes to the same school where they can learn and play as one nation. It is long overdue. The concept of 1Sekolah, after all, is a noble one and is something worth the effort.
Satu Sekolah Untuk Semua (SSS) is a grassroot movement to reset one of the key foundations of our nationhood and create the essence of a united and cohesive Malaysia.
There is no other way to forge national integration, national unity and to instill a sense of shared destiny except to vigorously push for a streamlined, singular School System for ALL Malaysians.
But at the same time, I agree that the quality of the national schools needs to be improved, a lot.
Just the other day, I was looking into some of the school textbooks and the quality is indeed questionable. Some of the channels in Astro have far better quality teaching materials than the textbooks that I saw. If we are going to compete on a global level, something drastic needs to be done on the quality of education.
Whilst many are looking at 1Sekolah favourably as it is one way to unite the country, the politicians, on the other hand, seems to be trying hard to fail any effort to unite the country.
From Rocky’s Bru:-
MCA Youth leader Dr Wee Ka Siong is seriously contemplating lodging a police report against bloggers who initiated the Satu Sekolah Untuk Semua campaign aimed at creating a “true” Bangsa Malaysia.
Wee, who is also the Deputy Education Minister, said he may also refer the bloggers to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission
It looks like the concept of 1Sekolah is still not going well with those who are pursuing the notion of vernacular schools in Malaysia. Question is why the harsh response to something that will work towards a united Malaysia? What is bugging the Deputy Education Minister? Is there any seditious about the 1Sekolah concept?
Coming from MCA, perhaps they are worried about the quality gap between the national schools and vernacular schools. Perhaps they are worried about losing their unique identity, language and culture. If this is so, such concerns then must be addressed quickly but certainly not at the expense of national unity. At the end of the day, each of us in this country belongs to one identity called “Malaysians” and whatever else comes in secondary.
But to quickly dismiss the concept of 1Sekolah fast and threatening the promoters of 1Sekolah with unwanted sanctions is not the right way to start the journey to a united nation.
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Bahasa Malaysia – what’s the point
Salam sejahtera,
By the definition of Unity :-
1. the state of being one; oneness.
2. a whole or totality as combining all its parts into one.
3. the state or fact of being united or combined into one, as of the parts of a whole; unification.
4. absence of diversity; unvaried or uniform character.
5. oneness of mind, feeling, etc., as among a number of persons; concord, harmony, or agreement.
Let’s see:-
“oneness”, “combined”, “united”, “uniform”, “minds in agreement”
equals to “One School For All”?
whereas;
“not one”, “in parts”, “varied”, “many minds”
equals to “wee ka siong”?
Are we so “diverse” that we even forgot the simple meaning of “unity”?
and if I may add:-
“Unity through diversity” the PM sings at his 1Malaysia blog
while
definition above states Unity is the absence of diversity?
Let us ponder.
“SATU BANGSA, SATU NEGARA, SATU BAHASA”
NJ
1 Malaysia, 1 Sekolah, 2 Harga Rumah mana boleh?