Chinese education always on Mah’s agenda

JOHOR BARU: Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon (pic) considered Chinese school education his personal responsibility as soon as he was appointed to the post in 2020.

He said the development of Chinese schools had always been on his agenda.

“Recently, DAP attacked me in a video clip and I have to voice out against it. I want to tell DAP that I, Mah Hang Soon, have always been here and I have never ‘disappeared’,” he said at a press conference here yesterday.

He was referring to a DAP videoclip which claimed that he had “disappeared” or failed to work for the development of Chinese schools.

Mah said during Pakatan’s administration, SJKC Kuek Ho Yao was told to relocate from its original site in Taman Seri Austin here.

He said Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching even asked for the school to be renamed according to the developer’s name.

“The school is named after the late Tan Sri Kuek Ho Yao, a philanthropist who played a vital role in the development of the Chinese community and Teo’s move had caused unrest in the community. She owes the late icon and the people an apology,” he said.

He said SJKC Sim Mow Yu was among the earliest schools to break ground.

When Pakatan Harapan took over the government, its construction was stopped as Pakatan said its location was 2km from another Chinese school.

Mah said when he took over as deputy minister, he decided to restart the school project.

He said Teo also allowed the permit for SJKC Tan Kah Kee, which was supposed to be built in Iskandar Puteri, to be transferred to Pahang’s SJKC Chung Ching 2.

“She said it was because the property developer of the school here no longer wanted to do so, besides the lower Chinese population in the area.

“So the decision to build a Chinese primary school lies with the developer?” said Mah.

He added that the matter was not discussed with the Johor Dong Lian Hui (Chinese Schools Committee Association).

Meanwhile, five MCA candidates will cooperate to achieve the Greater Johor Baru agenda, which is a plan to boost the development of southern Johor, says MCA secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon.

He said the plan, which was announced by the state government last year, would see the cooperation of three city councils – Johor Baru, Iskandar Puteri and Pasir Gudang.

The state seats located within the councils’ jurisdictions are contested by the five candidates. They are Puteri Wangsa (Ng Yew Aik), Johor Jaya (Chan San San), Stulang (Ang Boon Heng), Perling (Tan Hiang Kee) and Skudai (Lim Soon Hai).

“If they are given the mandate, the five will work together to assist the city councils to ensure the success of the Greater Johor Baru plan,” Chong told a press conference at the Johor MCA headquarters here yesterday.

He added that the five candidates were former city councillors who were familiar with community issues and had ample knowledge about how to help the councils.