Zaid: Right to assemble is not exclusive to Malays but all Malaysians

(Sin Chew Daily) — Former minister in the prime minister’s department Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim strongly supports the Chinese organisations joint congress to be held this coming Saturday.

Zaid wrote in a comment that he heard some people said Dong Zong is an extremist organisation, but he knew it as a group of people committed to protecting Chinese schools in the country.

“I do not think to protect and defend one’s language and culture in a multicultural country makes you an extremist.

“Citizens of this country have the right to assemble and express their views on what they consider their rights; so long as they do so peacefully.

“The right to assemble and to air your beliefs is not just for the Malays — it’s for all Malaysians.”

He wrote that the non-Malay community would not mind if the Jawi lesson is made optional and not compulsory.

“There is no compelling reason why Jawi must be made mandatory in Chinese schools at the cost of further breaking up our community.

“If the Malays want to go back to using Jawi, by all means do so; no one is stopping them. If the Chinese schools do not want to use it; similarly they have the right to do so,” he asserted.

He concluded that vernacular schools have contributed immensely to the country. “They are here to stay and let’s accept them and move on.”