Petaling Jaya Utara Umno deputy division chief Mohamad Azli Mohemed Saad says the Chinese vernacular school system should be aborted as purportedly promotes racism and anti-establishment sentiments. — Picture by Azinuddin Ghazali

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 ― An Umno man has called for the Umno general assembly to discuss abolishing the Chinese vernacular school system as it purportedly promotes racism and anti-establishment sentiments.

Petaling Jaya Utara Umno deputy division chief Mohamad Azli Mohemed Saad was reported by dailies Mingguan Malaysia and New Sunday Times (NST) today as saying that the upcoming annual Umno meeting in November should also mull raising the intake of Malay and Indian students and teachers in Chinese schools to 60 per cent.

“Many are of the opinion that Chinese vernacular schools have been exploited by opposition parties to incite hatred towards other races, and [to] spread racial and anti-government sentiments,” Azli was quoted as saying by NST.

He added that Chinese schools should be placed under the Education Ministry instead of allowing them to operate independently.

“Malaysia is the only country in the world that practises the dual-stream education system. Both systems must be put under one umbrella for better management and to prevent future problems,” said Azli.

The United Chinese School Committees Association (Dong Zong) expressed concern last January that Putrajaya may be suppressing the development of vernacular schools in the national Education Blueprint 2013-2015.