Responding to Wee Ka Siong

Media statement by DAP Johor Chairman and Member of Parliament for Kluang Liew Chin Tong on 19 January 2018 in Kluang

A news report today quoted MCA Deputy President Wee Ka Siong explaining that the RM5 million annual allocation he received was not solely for education but was also used for an array of other matters such as road repairs, halls, mosques and temples.

Wee was responding to a previous report when the issue of donations to educational institutions within his constituency was highlighted by the press following DAP Secretary General Lim Guan Eng’s visit to Yong Peng  Pakatan Harapan fundraising dinner on 12 January, where Lim spoke about annual fixed allocation to schools by Penang state Government.

I am sure that most of Wee’s constituents were surprised to learn that Wee receives RM5 million annual allocation, which is not given to opposition MPs. I call on him to reveal how the allocation has been spent in the past 5 years and intend to ask this question during the coming March parliamentary sitting.

Wee as MCA Johor Chief should ensure that the BN Johor government gives sufficient allocations to all schools which are in need. The Johor government should emulate the state government of Penang and Selangor which has given generous allocation not only to Chinese Independent schools but also to Tamil schools, Islamic religious schools and mission schools.

The Penang State Government initiated the fixed annual allocations for vernacular schools, independent Chinese secondary and religious schools of RM12 million yearly, since 2009.

In 2016, Selangor allocated a total of RM16 million for education assistance programmes for Sekolah Agama Rakyat (SAR) and Chinese and Tamil primary schools.

On Wee’s point on the speculation of which party will contest in Ayer Hitam, my response is that Pakatan Harapan knows that this seat will be an uphill battle. But we will put up a good fight, regardless of which combination of candidate and party that is fielded.