Teresa wants academic probed over 'racist' rant on Chinese schools

Teresa wants academic probed over 'racist' rant on Chinese schools


PARLIAMENT | Seputeh MP Teresa Kok today called for the police to investigate academic Teo Kok Seong for a TikTok video alleging that Chinese schools propagate racism against Malays.

Questioning the police criteria for investigating politicians, she contrasted Teo’s issue with the investigations opened against her fellow party members Lim Kit Siang and Tony Pua.

“I and many other representatives in this house have studied in Chinese schools. We were never taught to look down on Malays.

“Teo’s statement is certainly twisting facts and distorting the relationship between the Malay community and the Chinese community.

"This is incitement. Why is this racist and twisted statement not investigated by the police?” she said in the Dewan Rakyat today during her speech in the debate on the royal address.

In a TikTok video posted by the Merdeka Times, Teo claimed that vernacular schools could prevent national unity as Chinese students who were less intelligent could only master the Mandarin language, preventing communication with other races.

“The main issue is that non-Malays, particularly the ethnic Chinese, refuse to integrate into the Malay social structure.

“The look down on Malays, that’s the truth,” he said.


Other races in Chinese schools

Meanwhile, Kok cited a parliamentary written response from the Education Ministry regarding the number of Malay and Indian students in Chinese schools.

"According to the Education Ministry’s parliamentary answer on Nov 10, 2020, there were 15.33 percent Malay students (in Chinese schools) in 2020 compared to 10 years ago which was 6.18 percent, while Indian students were 2.75 percent in 2020.

"In a multiracial atmosphere in Chinese primary schools, how can Chinese students look down on and insult Malays?” she said.

Using the example of singer Shila Amzah who became popular in China for singing in Mandarin, Kok said Malays who learned to speak Mandarin had an advantage which allowed them to work in other countries or to do business with China.

Earlier this month, police investigated Pua under the Sedition Act 1948 over his Facebook posts criticising the Pardon Board’s decision to reduce Najib Abdul Razak’s prison sentence.

In December last year, Lim agreed with former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad over thoughts surrounding Malaysia having a non-Malay prime minister, with the latter saying unless the Malays accept it, things would remain status quo.

Lim, who was investigated by the police over the matter, reiterated that he does not expect a Chinese Malaysian or Indian Malaysian to become prime minister for the next 100 years.