MCA vice-president cum Penang MCA chairman Tan Teik Cheng (third right), Bukit Mertajam MCA Youth chief Tan Yang Pang (fifth right) and Penang MCA vice-chairman Dr Tan Chuan Hong flagging off the participants during the MCA Youth 70th Anniversary Youth Run.
BUKIT MERTAJAM: IT was a lively and vibrant day as some 400 participants made their way up Taman Eko Rimba Cherok Tokun in Bukit Mertajam during the MCA Youth 70th Anniversary Youth Run.
Organised by Bukit Mertajam MCA Youth, the event brought participants closer to nature, with lush greenery and fresh air providing the backdrop to an active and healthy lifestyle in a cheerful, harmonious atmosphere.
The run was flagged off by MCA vice-president cum Penang party chairman Tan Teik Cheng, who said the event symbolised continuity and the spirit of youthful succession within MCA Youth.
“Since its establishment, MCA Youth has consistently shown the courage to speak out against injustice, raising concerns for the party, the nation, the Chinese community and all Malaysians, while addressing policies and issues detrimental to the Chinese community,” he said.
Teik Cheng added that over the past seven decades, the youth wing had built its strength and character by nurturing leaders who went on to serve in politics, society and education.
He said Malaysian youth must remain resolute and responsible amid an evolving political and social landscape.
Some participants seen pacing themselves while hiking upTaman Eko Rimba Cherok Tokun in Bukit Mertajam during the MCA Youth70th Anniversary Youth Run.
“Only by facing challenges head-on and persevering through difficulties can young people continue to speak up for the rakyat and become a driving force for reform and national development,” he said after flagging off the hike with Bukit Mertajam MCA Youth chief Tan Yang Pang.
On a separate matter, Teik Cheng also questioned the alleged sharp rise in classroom construction costs, with some reaching as high as RM520,000 per classroom.
He described classroom construction as a basic educational necessity that should be carried out with reasonable and transparent budgeting.
“Does this involve unreasonable contracting procedures or inflated costs at multiple levels?
"Is bureaucratic or administrative wastage driving prices up, or is there a lack of effective oversight and accountability in the use of public funds?” he asked.
He said education forms the foundation of the nation’s future, warning that abnormal cost increases not only burden public finances but could also delay school expansion and upgrades.
He called on the Education Ministry to disclose detailed data, explain the cost increases, and subject itself to full public and parliamentary scrutiny.
MCA vice-president cum Penang MCA chairman Tan Teik Cheng,along with several other participants, hiking up Taman Eko RimbaCherok Tokun in Bukit Mertajam during the MCA Youth 70th AnniversaryYouth Run.
“Investment in education must prioritise students’ interests and must not become a channel for administrative wastage or improper transfers of benefits,” he said.
Earlier, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek was reported as saying that the estimated cost of building a classroom over the past five years has doubled compared with the previous five-year period.
Unity government spokesman Datuk Fahmi Fadzil was subsequently quoted as saying the Cabinet would seek clarification from the Education Ministry on the estimated cost of building a classroom, which has risen to between RM280,000 and RM520,000.
Meanwhile, Yang Pang thanked participants and supporters for their strong turnout, saying MCA Youth would continue to promote youth and community activities and strengthen social unity.
“Youth organisations must carry forward the struggles of their predecessors, uphold the strength and spirit of the MCA Youth Wing, and actively contribute to society within a democratic nation,” he said.
