Malaysia Education Ministry

It is now clear to me that certain manipulative power brokers has actively attempt to make all schools Barisan Nasional's only territory as evident by the response of the Education Ministry’s director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom when he “refused to elaborate when asked if the Education directors had been instructed not to approve requests for visits by politicians from Opposition parties” (The Star article or page 3 of The Star 30/3/2008).

If the Education directors had been indeed instructed not to approve requests for visits by politicians from Opposition parties, this blatant move disregards the choice of the people and its only purpose is to make school functions reserved only for the scions of Tun Hussien Onn and his pawns within the Education Ministry. I was denied at least once of such visit by the school principal apparently under instruction (The Star article).

I had thought that being a supposedly learned educationist, the Director of Education will be able to sort out the mess by putting the wrong right. Much to my disappointment, he further reiterated that only "the Education Minister, the deputy minister, the director-general, and state level Education Department directors and their representatives" are allowed to be invited to school events. A little additional caveat allows the State Director to "approve" other persons to such invites, obviously they shall only come from Barisan Nasional.

I abhor such selective manipulation of the school hallowed grounds for political mileage by the Barisan Nasional. I also completely reject those government servants within the Education Ministry who disallow visits by politicians from Opposition parties. If any school authority allows such undemocratic and lopsided move to be carried out, shame on you being teachers of our children.

I demand a clear answer from the Education Minister on whether Education directors had been instructed not to approve requests for visits by politicians from Opposition parties. If the Education Minister refuses to answer and instead is adamant to proceed with this “hidden” measure, I call on all parents to inform us at DAP if they come to know of any visits to the schools by any Barisan Nasional politician, even if it is Badawi, Najib, Ong Kah Chuan or even some lower ranks like MIC’s Saravanan. And I will seek the assistance of DAP members, friends from the other Opposition parties, NGOs and even Royal Malaysian Police force to shut them out of the school grounds. Since the parents didn't want Barisan Nasional in 6 states (including Wilayah Persekutuan), I am sure they even less want them in the schools influencing their much loved children.



Lim Lip Eng
DAP MP for Segambut
31/3/2008

New MP wants funds for sports

(Photo courtesy from www.thestar.com.my)

The Star - SEGAMBUT MP Lim Lip Eng said he would be speaking to the other nine opposition MPs in the Federal Territory to see if they could collectively apply for an allocation from the government for sports development in their respective constituencies.

According to him, each of the constituencies could get as much as RM1mil for the purpose if the applications were successful.
“The people at some of these places are now using their own funds to organise sporting events.

Such funding should come from the government,” he said.

Lim was speaking after launching a football competition at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Penchala recently.

The competition, organised by the Tengku Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque committee, was part of the village's Maulidur Rasul celebration. more