theSun | WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 3 2008
news without borders
Khalid’s attitude
immature, says Khir
SHAH ALAM: Umno Supreme Council member
Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo has described
Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibra-
him’s “wash my hands off” attitude in the issue
of the Central Area Reinforcement (CAR) project
in Rawang as immature.
Last Saturday, Abdul Khalid had stated that the
state government would have no part in solving
the issue of the CAR project in Kampung Sungai
Terentang, Rawang, which had been delayed for
a year, if Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) kept to its
original plan without considering other proposals
from the state government.
“As this project comes under the jurisdiction
of TNB, we have met up with the Energy, Water
and Communications Minister, Datuk Shaziman
Abu Mansor, and asked him to meet personally
with the villagers to solve any problems,” he had
told reporters.
However, Mohamad Khir, the former mentri
besar, said although the land involved was TNB
reserve, it did not have the power to acquire the
land for the project and only the state govern-
ment could do so under Section 3 (1)(a) of the
Land Acquisition Act 1960 in the interest of the
public.
“We understand that the state government
tried to shift the power line to Kampung Sungai
Samak and Kampung Tun Perak but the residents
there protested. We hope the state government
can solve the problem. We don’t want a situa-
Mukhriz gets brickbats for
proposing single education system
Press Digest
by Kong See Hoh
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
JERLUN MP Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir’s sug-
gestion of a single education system to unite
the people and prevent racial polarisation did
not go down well with Chinese educationists
and the MCA.
While the MCA said Mukhriz was raising
an old issue and that the current education
systems are not a hindrance to national unity,
the guardians of Chinese education see it as an
attempt to “uproot vernacular education” in the
country, China Press reported yesterday.
Speaking to newsmen in the Parliament
lobby on Monday, Mukhriz said all schools
should come under one system only, i.e. the
Malaysian or National Education System using
Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction,
except for Mathematics and Science which will
be taught in English.
The suggestion drew flak from Chinese
politicians and educationists alike.
» MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said:
“Mukhriz’s suggestion to do away with Chinese
and Tamil schools is regrettable. He is just one
of the many who are now repeating the same
polemics that are a few decades old, simply bec-
ause of the advent of the Umno party elections.
(Mukhriz is the top contender for the Umno
Youth chief post.) It is sad that there are still
politicians who cannot think out of the box.”
» MCA vice-president Datuk Liow Tiong Lai:
“The present systems are acceptable to all in
‘Hadi’s thinking narrow and outdated’
HUA ZONG (Federation of Chinese Associations
of Malaysia) president Tan Sri Lim Gait Tong has
ticked off PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi
Awang for his remark that Malaysia’s prime
minister must be a Malay or a Muslim.
He said the Federal Constitution clearly
states that any member of parliament who
commands the confidence of the majority of
MPs and the King can be the prime minister,
regardless of race or religion.
Hadi was quoted as making the remark in an
interview with Harakah – PAS’s official organ.
Lim said Hadi’s remark showed that his
 11
tion where just because of 20 people, Selangor
residents will face a big problem of power supply
shortage,” he said.
Mohamad Khir said he learnt that TNB would
not budge from its original plan to install the
power line through Kampung Sungai Terentang
as the other suggestions given by the state gov-
ernment could not be implemented because of
technical reasons.
He, therefore, hoped that the state govern-
ment would take firm action to acquire the land
and hand it over to TNB.
TNB president and chief executive Datuk Seri
Che Khalib Mohamad Noh had voiced the utility
company’s concern that if the project was not
completed, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and a large
part of the peninsula’s southern region would
be facing power supply disruptions for three to
four months.
The CAR project, costing RM400 million, with
a large portion of it already spent by TNB, could
not proceed further because of objection from
20 of the 40 affected families although TNB was
willing to double the relocation compensation,
Mohamad Khir said.
About 98% cent of the project has been
completed and the uncompleted 2%, involving
a distance of 1km, requires the installation of
four monopoled towers before electricity could
be channelled to almost 6.5 million homes.
– Bernama
nurturing talent and fostering national unity and
racial harmony. I think the current systems are
best for our multi-racial society. Although there
are many types of schools at primary level,
students of different races still have the oppor-
tunity to integrate when they enter national
secondary schools. Mukhriz probably does not
know that mother-tongue education is most
effective and that the current systems work
well.”
» MCA MP for Labis, Chua Tee Yong: “We
should keep the status quo as the freedom to
learn one’s mother-tongue is guaranteed under
the Constitution. Government policies, and not
the languages in which we are educated, are
the stumbling blocks to national unity.”
» PKR MP for Kelana Jaya, Loh Gwo Burne: “We
cannot attribute the problem of disunity to the
present education system. Mukhriz’s sugges-
tion may be a means to fostering unity, but it
cannot work given the current situation.”
» Dong Zong (United Chinese School Commit-
tees Association) deputy president Zou Shou
Han: “If the government wants to foster greater
racial unity, it should be fairer in distributing the
country’s wealth and resources. It it ridiculous
for Mukhriz to see vernacular schools as the
main cause of racial polarisation.”
» Jiao Zong (United Chinese School Teach-
ers Association) president Ong Chiow Chuan:
“Mukhriz has inherited his father (Tun Dr Maha-
thir Mohamad)’s leadership style in wishing to
uproot the 200-year-old Chinese education.
This will only cause greater disunity. I believe
Mukhriz is just trying to fish for votes ahead of
the Umno elections. He is unfit to be a national
leader.”
thinking is narrow and outdated, and that he
is not suitable to lead the party, Oriental Daily
News reported yesterday.
He said in a statement that Hua Zong held in
high esteem the country’s past leaders for hav-
ing the wisdom and broadmindedness to draft
a Constitution some 50 years ago that protects
the rights and interests of all Malaysians.
PAS’s insistence that only a Muslim can
become prime minister and its recent attempt
to have a liquor ban imposed in Selangor
showed its gradual shift towards fundamen-
talism.