Dong Zong calls for more funds for Chinese education in Budget 2018

PETALING JAYA: Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association) wants the Barisan Nasional government to allocate funds to conforming schools as well as independent Chinese secondary schools in the upcoming budget.
It has also sought an undertaking by Pakatan Harapan that it would recognise Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) should it come to power in the next general election, the Chinese press reported today.
Dong Zong president Datuk Vincent Lau said the association is awaiting the 2018 Budget with bated breath to see whether the government would institutionalise the allocation of funds to conforming schools and independent Chinese secondary schools and provide fair allocations to Chinese primary schools based on needs.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak will deliver the budget speech in Parliament on Oct 27.
"With the general election drawing near, the coming budget is expected to be one where election goodies would be dished out. But Dong Zong does not want to see the government, in a bid to get more votes, issue bad cheques to independent Chinese secondary and Chinese primary schools," he said.
The government must not continue to ignore the needs of the Chinese community to develop Chinese education, he said, adding that giving a fair amount of allocation to Chinese schools in the national budget is the best way of treating the people well.
As such, he hoped that the 2018 Budget would bring cheers to those in the Chinese education fraternity.
Speaking to the media after chairing the 90th delegate meeting of Dong Zong's state affiliates in Kuantan on Sunday, Lau disclosed that Pakatan Harapan has agreed to recognise UEC should it gain power in the 14th general election, without conditions such as a revamp in syllabus to comply with the Malaysian government's education policy, and to have more chapters on Malaysian history, two conditions the current government wants to be fulfilled before granting full recognition to UEC.