I encourage bumiputras to attend Chinese schools

MIRI: Prominent Sarawakian entrepreneur Datuk Raziah Mahmud (pic) has created history in being the first non-Chinese chairman of a Chinese vernacular school management committee.

Raziah, 45, told a press conference after launching RV Housing Estate at Taman Tunku here that in the spirit of 1Malaysia and to meet the needs of the people in Taman Tunku, her company Kumpulan Parabena Sdn Bhd had donated 4ha of land for SJK Chiaw Nan.

The proposed site for SJK Chiaw Nan is at Taman Jelita Phase 11 (Taman Tunku).

The new RM10mil school, construction of which is to start next year, will have four blocks of classrooms, a multi-purpose hall, a football field, a car park and other amenities. It will be able to accommodate 2,000 students and the first phase is expected to be completed by 2012.

SJK Chiaw Nan was formerly located at Lubok Nibong, about 32km from Marudi Town in Baram, and was due to be closed because of dwindling enrolment. Currently the school has only six pupils.

Learning of the plight of the school, Raziah came to the rescue, and the Education Ministry approved its relocation to Taman Tunku.

Raziah said the relocation came at the right time as the Riam Road areas were facing a severe shortage of primary schools, and Taman Tunku did not have a Chinese school.

She emphasised that the school was open to all races. In Sarawak, about half the students in Chinese schools are bumiputras.

“In fact I encourage bumiputras to attend Chinese schools because there are certain advantages – like being proficient in mathematics, and the ability to speak Mandarin,” said Raziah. “Mandarin has become an important business language in the world.”

Raziah said a ring road by-passing the housing project would be built. The new double-lane 5km road is estimated to cost RM18mil. Construction is expected to begin by the middle of the year.

The 809.4ha Taman Tunku is expected to see its population surge to 50,000 in the next five to 10 years, she added. The new road will help ease traffic congestion in the housing estate.

“We are also looking into the possibility of setting up medical facilities like clinics, we also have land alienated for a university campus,” she said, adding that her company had been developing the area for 27 years.

(Source: The Star Online)

The undisputed (and original!) bumiputera are actually Orang Asli and the many tribes in West Malaysia such as Melanau, Bidayuh, Kelabit, Iban, Dayak, Dusun (you know what I mean)....

Even 1Malaysia PM who is of Bugis descent and whose roots are traced to Gowa, Sulawesi and our beloved ex-PM Tun Dr M who originally originated from Kerala, India cannot come close to the bumiputera of this land.

Wait! But then again, Tok Guru Nik Aziz said 'bumiputera' term is racist!