Najib plays education card to lure Chinese voters

As the Chinese turnout at Pakatan Rakyat functions continue to grow, it would appear BN chairperson Najib Abdul Razak has opted to play the education card over the past two days.

On Sunday, Najib told a rally in Selangor that his administration had approved SMJK (C) Confucian's request to relocate to Rawang.

He claimed that his government will also be funding the construction cost of the facility.

Yesterday, Najib was in Johor where he announced that his administration had approved the establishment of a second branch of another reputable institution, Foon Yew High School.

Foon Yew, a Chinese independent school, had applied to establish a branch on a plot of land it acquired in Seri Alam, Pasir Gudang.

"We give things to everyone, Malays get, Chinese get, Indians also get. This is our government, this is the BN government," he said during a BN rally at Kompleks Sentosa, Johor Bahru yesterday afternoon.

Najib said that incumbent Johor Bahru MP Shahrir Samad, who is defending his seat, had made a request for Foon Yew to be allowed to build a new campus.

He urged those in attendance to support BN and ensure Shahrir retains the seat, which the latter has held since 1978.

"If you love the prime minister, you must love BN. If you love BN, you must support Ah Jib Gor (Brother Ah Jib) and support BN," he said.

However, both schools have elected to take the caretaker PM’s words with a pinch of salt as it is would appear that the announcements were clearly tied with Najib's election campaign.

Confucian's board could not confirm that it will indeed be relocating, despite the present campus in downtown Kuala Lumpur is at its saturation point.

Confucian: Relocation plans not confirmed

Board chairperson Teh Hock Seng told Malaysiakini that the board had decided, in principle, to relocate. A company had offered the board a 10 acre plot in Rawang.

“We have agreed in principle to move, but we haven't discussed the details. We'll talk about that later. The board has not decided,” he stressed.

Moreover, the company which offered the land had attached conditions to its offer – that its 1,000 acre housing project must first be approved by the Selangor state government.

“From what I know, the company had submitted their plans to the Selangor government just two weeks ago,” he said.

He said the board will only hold further discussions about the school's relocation after the general elections to avoid politicising the matter.

Meanwhile, Foon Yew committee vice-chairperson Tong Sing Chuan (left) has expressed hope that the caretaker federal government would issue the necessary paperwork before the general election.

He refused to state whether the Chinese community should thank BN by voting for them and whether Najib was merely dishing out election sweeteners.

"People know what this (announcement) has to do with the election. But as far as we are concerned, we are very happy. Having a new branch is convenient for the Chinese community in Johor Bahru," he said.

The school was opened in Kulai in 1990 and has an enrollment of over 10,000 people.

Tong said Foon Yew has already acquired 20 acres of land in Seri Alam from a developer and only needs the necessary paperwork from the federal government to begin construction.

(Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com)