KUALA LUMPUR – Chinese vernacular schools are forced to turn to accepting public donations, including fundraising activities done by breweries out of the need to survive as they face a lack of public funding, said DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng.
In a statement, Lim also said that breweries such as Tiger and Carlsberg have helped raise RM 981 million since 1987 for these schools.
This amount, he said, is critical due to the shortfall in development funding by the Education Ministry (MoE).
The former finance minister also pointed out that only RM120 million was allocated for both Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools in Budget 2022, which he said was grossly insufficient.
He said that in the end, these schools were only given RM110 million, 10 million short of the initial amount allocated in the annual budget.
The former finance minister also said that he found it “ironic that certain quarters opposing the involvement of breweries in sponsoring fundraising efforts for these schools do not press the ministry to make up for the difference in funds.”
“Why the double standard?” Lim asked in a statement.
Lim also said that non-Muslim parents have chosen to accept this form of sponsorship by breweries for the past 37 years, without fearing or allowing their children to be influenced by them.
“This arrangement has worked so far when not one parent in Chinese or vernacular schools has complained of their children being influenced by the brewery companies into drinking beer or being drunk,” he added.
Lim also said that non-Muslim parents also do not want this donation issue to be politicised by those who are not aware these vernacular schools have resorted to public donations to survive for the last 70 years.
“In other words, non-Muslim parents do not fear for their children in Chinese or vernacular schools being influenced by brewery companies as much as they fear more for the survival of these schools without much-needed development funds.
“This is the prevailing sentiment among non-Muslims. Can those objecting to the cabinet decision and want Chinese or vernacular schools to cease all involvement with brewery companies to stop their preaching and just come up with the money?” asked the former finance minister.
Lim’s comments came amid a controversy over breweries’ involvement in fundraising activities for Chinese vernacular schools.
The issue was initially raised by Selangor PAS following a fundraising event at SJKC Tche Min.
During this event, photos were taken of Amanah politician and Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Aiman Athirah Sabu holding a mock cheque for RM3 million bearing the Tiger Beer logo.
Tiger Beer denied making charitable donations to schools, claiming that its role in the fundraiser event, known as the Chinese Education Charity Concert, only involved sponsorship of performances by local artists.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh then pointed out that Tiger Beer, which is owned by Heineken Malaysia Bhd, has been hosting fundraisers for the past 30 years, allowing vernacular schools to upgrade their amenities without relying on the government.
The Education Ministry responded to the row by stating that schools cannot accept donations generated from activities such as gambling, as well as the sale of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol.
However, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek later said the ministry would not review or grant exemptions for the guidelines on donations given to schools, including for vernacular schools.
The controversy also drew a response from former education minister Maszlee Malik, who said that allowing breweries to be involved in fundraising activities for schools is an “unhealthy” practice that he said “would open the Pandora Box” for other vice industries such as tobacco, vaping, and gambling to be involved in such activities. – July 29, 2024