UEC - the Mahathir Mentality

I used to play softball at school, rather badly, wakakaka. The game is somewhat similar to baseball but with several minor differences such field size, ball, pitching area, ball-delivery style, etc. But what I am about to write is unimportant to which game we refer to.

In both softball and baseball the dreaded sentence is '3 strikes and you're out' where the 3 strikes actually means strike-outs, or the inability or failure to hit a pitched ball.

That phrase is also used in crimes, where the three-strikes law significantly increases the prison sentences of persons convicted of a felony who have been previously convicted of two or more violent crimes or serious felonies, and limits the ability of these offenders to receive a punishment other than a life sentence.

But in Najib's case I want to use that phrase in the opposite way, namely, 3 strikes and you're IN, wakakaka.

GE-14 is coming so Ah Jib Gor has been campaigning heavily, both for BN and MCA-Gerakan, especially for the 2 Chinese-dominant parties. In the latter campaign case he has been Bapak Eid al-Fitr (wakakaka) to the Chinese Malaysians. The follwung have been what he has thus far done:

Strike 1 - Najib declared Han Chiang a university college,

Strike 2 - He made some 'noise' about Lil Napoleons opposing his move to build 10 new SRKJ(C) but assured the Chinese audience he won't allow those officials to stop his intention, saying he will definitely fund the new schools.

All he needs now is a Strike 3 with the hope he gets INto the good book of the Chinese voters or as many of them as he possibly can.

Strike 3?

Four years ago, on 29 April 2013, I posted Najib's Han Chiang Counteroffensive in which I wrote (relevant extracts):

... if Najib really wants to break out of his 'Ardennes' like the German Army of 1944, and win over Chinese voters on both sides of the South China Sea, then he ought to arm himself with a powerful weapon that will shake Pakatan to its core, and give MCA orgasmic delights to no ends, if ...

... he were to announce that the government will, effective from 01 May 2013 [has to prior to the election otherwise the Chinese won't believe him, wakakaka) recognize the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) of the Chinese independent high schools.

I am not joking. Najib will win one hell of a backswing to the BN by many Chinese voters.

The UEC-SML is recognized as a qualification for entrance into many tertiary educational institutions around the world, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Australia, Canada and many others except the country of its origin, namely, Malaysia.

You work out the reason why the Malaysian authority choose to be the exception, while I provide the historical reason as follows:

According to Dr Kua Kia Siong in his book, Protean Saga: The Chinese Schools of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir as Education Minister must have hated the idea and existence of the UEC so much that when he heard about Dong Jiao Zong's plans for it, he summoned the Chinese educationalists to parliament and told the leaders "... that UEC had better not be held or else ...".

He did not ask for any response and dismissed the Chinese educationalists with a curt ... 'that is all'."

That was in 1975. Obviously Dong Jiao Zong didn't give two hoots to Mahathir's arrogant ferocious but nonsensical warning, and correctly so as the 60 independent Chinese high schools in Malaysia (with 23 in East Malaysia) have been funded privately by the Chinese community and philanthropists like the late Lim Lean Teng, who was Han Chiang's long time benefactor.

But regarding the UEC, I afraid poor Najib has to deal with Mahathir's bitterest objection. Recall after the 2013 GE he told Najib not to bother with the Chinese and focus his aid-giving on Malays. We shouldn't be surprised as we know Mahathir has always harboured a frightening BIG grudge against the Chinese Malaysians.

But by tackling what warms the cockles of the Chinese hearts, namely education, Najib will be on the right track. His only problem is credibility, to wit, how reliable will the Chinese view his promise? Thus it can't just be a promise to be effected only after the election, especially a conditional one.

As I mentioned, if he really wants to win over many of the Chinese (I dare not promise all Chinese, but certainly many Chinese, even if some Pakatan supporters may not agree with me), then he must make the recognition effective prior to the election.

Mind you, the Chinese voters can still play him out, wakakaka, but that's another issue and a risk he has to take. But I think he already has some advisors who have guided him along this way.

So his biggest impediment to Strike 3 would be his erstwhile mentor, Mahathir, who dislikes Dong Jiao Zong and its UEC so much that I am sure that old man will go all out to prevent the government from recognising the UEC.

And 'ere I can say Ni Hao Ma? (wakakaka) we have Mahathir's henchman, Ibrahim Ali of Perkasa declaring (as reported by FMT):

Perkasa menentang sekeras-kerasnya termasuk akan mengisytiharkan “perang” jika kerajaan mengiktiraf Sijil Peperiksaan Bersepadu (UEC).

Presidennya, Datuk Ibrahim Ali berkata, kerajaan perlu menolak pengiktirafan UEC kerana ia bertentangan Dasar Pendidikan Kebangsaan yang terkandung dalam Akta Pendidikan 1996 dan Perkara 152 (1) Perlembagaan.

“Jangan ada parti-parti politik kecoh dan bising, jika UEC tidak diiktiraf kerajaan Malaysia."

“Menjelang pilihan raya umum, banyak buat tuntutan demi undi. Kita semua tidak boleh tolak ansur.”

Wow, Ibrahim Ali wants Perkasa to declare war if Najib were to recognise the UEC.

I wonder who could have alerted Ibrahim Ali as to Najib's possible' Strike 3?

"... that UEC had better not be held or else ..."