The Malaysian Insider

By Lee Wei Lian

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — Deputy education minister Wee Ka Siong was strongly criticised today for suggesting squabbles between the board of governors and parent teacher association of the Sin Ming Chinese school in Puchong resulted in teachers and students boycotting a new classroom block officiating ceremony three days ago.

In a statement, the chairman of the board of governors, Chai Yoon Peng, accused the minister of slander.

“The deputy minister has implied that all teaching staff are narrow minded and intolerant,” said Chai in a statement to the media.

“All teaching staff helped in preparation of the event.”

Chai added that the headmaster, Pi Yuan, was instructed verbally by both the Sepang district and Selangor state education department to bar himself, teaching staff and students from attending the ceremony.

It was earlier claimed that the directive came because the board of governors had invited high ranking opposition leaders to the event, including Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Selangor Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

“We are shocked at the directive and regret that Wee made allegations prior to any investigation,” says Chai.

In a separate media statement, Lee Chong Beng, chairman of the MCA’s SS2 branch in Petaling Jaya tried to distance his branch from Wee’s statements, because it has drawn anger towards MCA.

“We would like to mention that many MCA grassroots leaders attended the Sin Ming school function and were disappointed that MCA leaders who are supposed to champion Chinese education did not send a high level representative to give moral support just because it was officiated by the Menteri Besar of Selangor who happens to be from Pakatan Rakyat,” said Lee.

“We members of the MCA SS2 branch would like to sound a word of caution to MCA leaders that if you continue to hold a narrow party view at the expense of Chinese education, then the Chinese community will look toward Pakatan Rakyat for support.”

‘By then MCA will be rendered an insignificant party and useless in the eyes of the Chinese community and to Umno as what the late Tun Dr Ismail said, the party is neither dead nor alive. We hope this prophecy will not come true.”

Wee yesterday denied allegations that he was punishing the school for inviting Anwar by witholding RM120,000 worth of funds.

He explained that the allocation disbursement was based on the merit of individual cases.

He also blasted Anwar for saying MCA was threatening the school, calling it a lie and saying he was willing to swear on the truth of the matter and challenged Anwar to do the same.

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