DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng said it is not true to say that he was opposed to the Cabinet decision on fundraising by Chinese-medium schools.
PETALING JAYA: DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng said today he supported a Cabinet’s decision on fundraising for vernacular schools, a day after he had taken the education minister to task over her response on the issue.
In a statement, Lim dismissed the notion that he was against the decision. “It’s not true to say I opposed the Cabinet decision,” he said.
Lim said that if education minister Fadhlina Sidek’s office said that even PAS supports the Cabinet decision “then good and syabas”. However, news reports gave him the impression that the Islamic party was still against the Cabinet’s decision, he said.
Earlier today, an aide to Fadhlina questioned Lim for criticising the minister over the issue. Atiqah Syairah Shaharuddin, the minister’s political secretary, said such criticism was unwarranted and called for a stop to “unproductive polemics”.
In response, Lim said the criticisms of Fadhlina were made before the ministry’s announcement on the matter, Malaysiakini reported.
Fundraising for Chinese-medium schools became an issue after PAS criticised a deputy minister for receiving a RM3 million mock cheque bearing a Tiger Beer logo at a fundraiser for SJK(C) Tche Min in Sungai Pelek, Selangor.
On Friday, the education ministry said it will maintain existing guidelines on donations to schools, that contributions cannot display or promote alcohol on school premises, while the Cabinet had agreed to give leeway for vernacular schools to accept donations through their board of directors or foundation.
Lim said tonight he agreed with the Cabinet’s decision to maintain the past practices when it came to donations. “Of course Muslims are forbidden from being involved.”
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