Speaking on the issue of vernacular schools, Ti told FMT that when it came to the topic of unity, vernacular schools would often come under the microscope and be unfairly blamed for not promoting national unity.
“Has anyone put national schools under the microscope in the same way? Have we analysed whether they truly promote national unity?”
Ti, who is MCA Religious Harmony Bureau chairman, feared that if this belief became prevalent, vernacular schools would suffer the same fate as the English-language education system that had served Malaysians from all walks of life well in the past.
“In retrospect, we made a mistake in discontinuing the proven, English-language education system left behind by the colonialists.”
In the past, he said, English schools were the premier schools in the country and most parents wanted their children to study in English schools.
“The English schools were so popular even among the Chinese parents that some vernacular schools began dying a natural death as they could no longer attract students.”
Ti said Chinese educationists at the time were very worried about the popularity of English schools.
He said, however, English schools, which were a “melting pot” of Malaysian students, later became the target of nationalists who felt that such schools were remnants of Malaysia’s colonial past.
“We should try to fix what is wrong with our national unity agenda without picking on any particular type of school, at the expense of education.
“In the end, education will become the ultimate victim of politicking.”
Ti said the belief that unity came with only one school system was akin to believing the country would be united if all Malaysians converted to Islam.
“Of course, we know that this is a false analogy.”
When it comes to unity, Ti said, there was no room for oversimplification, as there were many factors affecting national unity.
“People like to take the easy way out and just put the blame on vernacular schools, without addressing the real causes of disunity.”
In the end, Ti said, the result would be the same, as the issue of disunity will still be there even if the education system in the form of vernacular schools was sacrificed.
The way forward, Ti said, was not simple but it definitely did not lie in the shutting down of vernacular schools.
The debate over vernacular schools has ignited once more after the Tunku Mahkota of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, mooted the idea for Bangsa Johor schools in the state, rather than having separate school systems.