KLANG – Vernacular schools receiving donations from brewery brands is a long-standing practice that is being politicised by certain quarters, said DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke.
Loke, who is also transport minister, referred to a recent cabinet directive allowing such donations to be collected as per the status quo.
“There is no need for polemics to arise from this issue as it has been previously practised before this without any problems,” he told reporters today after a working visit to the LRT3 project site at the Pasar Jawa station, here.
“It’s just that certain quarters are trying to politicise the matter by harping on it. A cabinet decision has been made, there’s clearly no grey area in the stipulated guidelines.”
Loke said the guidelines endorsed by the Education Ministry with cabinet’s approval state that if fundraising events involving alcoholic beverage brands are held within school premises, then their logos cannot be displayed.
“However, the events can also be held without any such restriction outside school premises, which is where these sorts of events normally take place anyway.
“It’s status quo for the organising of these programmes. There’s no problem in holding such events, with a requirement that Muslim students cannot be involved in such activities.”
Instead of students participating in fundraising events, he said such programmes held outside school premises are attended by parents and members of the public keen on supporting the school.
Earlier today, DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng took aim at the Education Ministry for its supposed shortfalls in development funding for Chinese vernacular schools.
Such schools, the former finance minister said in a statement, 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.
Lim added that breweries such as Tiger and Carlsberg have helped raise RM981 million since 1987 for these schools.
PAS previously took issue with images of Amanah politician and Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Aiman Athirah Sabu receiving a RM3 million mock cheque bearing Tiger Beer’s logo at a fundraiser for SJKC Tche Min in Sg Pelek, Selangor.
Education Deputy Minister Wong Kah Woh criticised PAS for riding on the issue, accusing the party of distorting facts and playing up racial sentiments.
Wong said 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.
Tiger Beer has since denied making charitable donations to schools, claiming that its role in a fundraiser known as the Chinese Education Charity Concert only involved sponsorship of performances by local artistes.
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 “would open the Pandora box” for other vice industries such as tobacco, vaping, and gambling to be involved. – July 29, 2024