24
speak up!
FIRST they came armed with “facts and
figures” as well as executive councillors who
acted as their spokespersons. They regaled
us with successful hillslope development
examples in Taiwan and Hongkong and
spoke of cutting down hills and dumping
them in valleys as though it was admirable!
And now with the Bukit Antarabangsa
tragedy, they have gone into public relations
overdrive by offering their services in the
rescue efforts and (this is laughable) audit
landslide-prone areas!
I am not calling the Real Estate and
Housing Developers Association
(Rehda) members bandits, but as
the saying goes, how can you ask
the fox to look after the chicken
coop.
And enough of this sandiwara.
If Rehda was really concerned
with public safety, it would on
its own accord get its members
to be responsible developers and
abandon all plans for hillslope
projects.
But no. At RM10 million a
bungalow (as in the case of Down2Earth
Damansara 21), the call of the
by Terence Fernandez
ringgit is too alluring to ignore. So
what, if there is another tragedy?
Even after the Pakatan Rakyat
state government had in April declared
its ban on Class Three and Class Four
hillslope projects, Rehda members were still
attempting to get the state government to
reverse its policy.
This was evident at a dialogue on Aug 17
where they tried to pull every trick out of the
hat to justify building on slopes.
Of course the overtures towards Mentri
Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had
proven unsuccessful.
Feeble attempt at
public relations
Abdul Khalid at Wednesday’s
post-exco meeting press
conference exclaimed: “They
find me stubborn!”
Well done Sir, and may they
continue to hit a brick wall when
it comes to getting the state to go
back on its word.
I think Pakatan Rakyat is
aware that it cannot win the next
election on Rehda members’
votes alone!
And to those who are
threatening the state with
lawsuits. In the public interest,
if this is the price we have to
pay to save more lives, so be it. But in doing
so, these developers can forget about getting
approvals for anymore projects in all Pakatan
Rakyat states and risk closing shop.
So here’s where political might should
come in.
*******************
I RECEIVED an alert from National Sports
Council (NSC) director-general Datuk
letter
letters@thesundaily.com
Zolkples Embong regarding my
column on Dec 2 about perceived
shadowy figures in our sports
administration.
Zolkples has pointed out that the
person mentioned in my article is
only a member of the National Athlete
Welfare Fund (NAWF) and does not
manage the fund.
“Any athlete who wants to enjoy
the benefits and assistance under the
NAWF must become a member first.
That’s all and they have nothing to do
with running the NAWF,” Zolkples
said.
He adds that the NAWF is chaired by
former sprinter Datuk Paduka Mumtaz
Jaafar, whose appointment is by the
youth and sports minister, not the NSC.
Thank you, Datuk; I stand corrected.
I must say though that it is up to
everyone – those in the administration
and watchdogs such as the media – to
be vigilant over individuals who embed
themselves in our sporting institutions
to pursue their vested interests and not
the greater good of Malaysian sports.
Having said that, I am curious
as to how the ministry, the NSC, the
Malaysian Hockey Federation or the
Olympic Council of Malaysia will
honour the late Datuk Ho Koh Chye.
Kind words alone are insufficient to
pay tribute to this great champion and
gentleman of the game for all he has
achieved for Malaysian sports.
One of Koh Chye’s greatest passions
was the welfare of former athletes. He
had once said that while he was lucky
to have a longer shelf life by being
appointed to various positions within
the administration, there were many
more who had just faded away and are
even finding it hard to make ends meet.
Perhaps the NAWF or an extension of
it should be renamed in Koh Chye’s
memory?
Terence is deputy editor special reports
& investigations and can be reached at
terence@thesundaily.com
theSun | FRIDAY DECEMBER 12 2008
Single school
system
can work
I REFER to the controversy over the medium
of instruction in primary schools.
Language is a medium to bring people
together. Assimilation into the mainstream of
a multi-cultural society can only be achieved
by having a common denominator – a single
school education system from primary
level onwards. Only then will culturally diverse
groups be visible and audible.
Language is a tool rather than a means of
cultural identification. In the present day sce-
nario, we need to equip schoolchildren with
knowledge and skills that can be transferred
globally. This is only possible when the minori-
ties in any country take a broader perspective
and accept that vernacular schools are not
favourable for future job prospects, national
integration and continued prosperity of the
country.
While having a single school education
system and offering a bilingual education
programme, the mother tongue is promoted
in school and the concepts, language, and
literacy skills that children learn in the major-
ity language can be transferred to the home
language. In short, both languages nurture
each other when the educational environment
permits children access to both languages.
Multilingual children (within the framework
of a single school system) have an enormous
contribution to make to their societies, and
to the international global community, if only
educators and politicians put into practice
what we believe are true for all children.
Cultural values of shared language, tradition
and beliefs are mostly an acquired culture as
they are imparted by parents and other fam-
ily members who have a common ancestral
background and experience. It is misguided
judgment to transfer such a responsibility to
the educational system. It is also myopic to
presume that having a single school system in
primary schools will erode the body of cultural
tradition that distinguishes a specific society.
After 50 years of independence we have to
accept that the cultural differences between
members of the subculture and the dominant
national culture have blurred. We should all
see ourselves as being part of the cultural
mainstream of the nation.
There is an urgent need to rethink our basic
political and cultural concepts, reinterpret
them and be bold to emphasise them through
the educational system.
P. Renuka
Kuala Lumpur