Full house: (Top) Chang (fourth from left) with distinguished guests from Malaysia and China in KL for the special ceremony.
With more Chinese families settling in Malaysia, China will become the 13th country to establish a diplomatic school in the country.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang, who announced the setting up of the Kuala Lumpur Chinese School during a special ceremony on Sept 23, said this marks another milestone in China–Malaysia relations, which have remained close and cooperative in both economic and cultural fields over the past 51 years.
The school – a Shandong-Malaysia education cooperation project – will be the first in South-East Asia to offer a full Chinese national curriculum from primary through secondary levels.
Proud moment: (From left) Li, Chen, Chan and Dr Mah jointly unveiling the Kuala Lumpur Chinese School plaque.
It will not only meet the educational needs of Chinese families in Malaysia but also create a stronger foundation for long-term business and cultural partnerships, Chang said at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
“The establishment of the Kuala Lumpur Chinese School will allow the children of Chinese employees to receive a systematic education here, while further boosting Chinese companies’ confidence in investing in Malaysia,” he added.
Building on this, he said the school would also serve as an important platform for educational exchange between China and Malaysia, nurturing future generations who understand Malaysia’s history and culture while remaining closely connected to their Chinese heritage.
Chang further highlighted that students will begin learning the Malay language and Malaysian history from primary level.
“This will not only promote the international use of the Malay language but also allow these children to continue fostering cultural and academic exchange between our two countries when they return to China,” he said.
During her speech, Shandong Provincial Department of Education deputy director-general Li Peng said that the school will consist of top teachers from both China and Malaysia, adopting China’s basic education curriculum, with the goal of making it a flagship model for international educational collaboration.
As part of the ceremony, a cooperation agreement and memorandum of understanding were signed between Dezhou University and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), and Qingdao University and UCSI University, respectively, to further strengthen academic exchange and collaboration.
Among those present were Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Malaysia minister-counsellor Chen Youliang, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretary Chan Ming Kai, Malaysian Education Exchange Association president Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon, Malaysia-China Business Council chairman Senator Tan Sri Low Kian Chuan, Star Media Group chairman Tan Sri Wong Foon Meng, UTAR president Prof Datuk Dr Ewe Hong Tat and UCSI University vice-chancellor and president Emerita Prof Datuk Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir.
