In saying so, DAP lawmaker Zairil Khir Johari dubbed the incident as an “isolated case”, and likened it to the treatment given to non-Muslim students in certain schools during the fasting month.

“Ridhuan Tee should not blow this issue out of proportion and make it a racial one, to the extent of questioning the purpose of vernacular education.”

Zairil, who is Bukit Bendera MP, was referring to Tee’s article in Sinar Harian this morning in which he called for the government to put Chinese schools “back in its place”, following the alleged racially motivated bullying of a Malay teacher at the Mersing school.

Zairil, who is also DAP’s Parliamentary spokesperson for Education, Science and Technology said the fact that Malay parents have started sending their children to Chinese schools showed that such schools fostered unity, and provided a good quality of education.

“He (Tee) should know that non-Chinese students make up an average 28 per cent of enrolment in Chinese schools in Kelantan.

“Some schools even have 40 to 60 per cent Malay students,” he said.

Zairil claimed Malay parents opted to send their children to Chinese schools because of the declining quality of education in national schools.