Don’t restrict Chinese schools’ fundraising efforts, Lau tells govt

 

FMT:

Don’t restrict Chinese

schools’ fundraising

efforts, Lau tells govt

FMT Reporters

-27 Jul 2024, 03:34 PM

Gerakan president says if fundraising is restricted, then the government must allocate sufficient funds to these schools.

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Gerakan president Dominic Lau said the Tiger Beer logo on the mock cheque will not influence school students. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

The education ministry should not restrict fundraising activities by certain companies in schools if the government does not allocate sufficient funds to all streams of schools, Gerakan said.

Party president Dominic Lau said the government should understand and not hinder the long-standing tradition of fundraising activities at Chinese schools.

“With limited government assistance, they can only rely on fundraising activities such as charity sales, charity dinners, concerts and performances to secure funding.

This is additional work for teachers at SJKC. If fundraising is not allowed, then the government should fully allocate the necessary funds to these schools,

 he said at a press conference after the party’s central committee meeting today.

“Secondly, Tiger Beer only sponsors performances. It does not sell beer at the event nor does it directly provide funds to the school.

All the funds received are donations from philanthropists and the school’s alumni.

Lau said the Tiger Beer logo on the mock cheque will not have a negative influence on the students nor will it make them heavy drinkers.

It was purely a corporate social responsibility exercise on the part of the company,

 he said.

On Monday, the education ministry said it was investigating the incident, and reminded schools to adhere to the guidelines issued in 2018, which prohibit accepting donations generated from activities such as gambling, as well as the sale of tobacco, drugs and alcohol.

Unity government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil later said the education ministry was tasked with clarifying whether Chinese schools can receive donations from companies that sell alcoholic beverages, after the matter was raised in the Cabinet meeting.

Tiger Beer yesterday denied ever giving donations to schools, saying its role in the recent controversial school fundraiser only involved the performances by local artistes at a concert.

Deputy education minister Wong Kah Woh previously pointed out that Tiger Beer, which is owned by Heineken Malaysia Bhd, had hosted these fundraisers for 30 years and reduced Putrajaya’s financial burden while enabling vernacular schools to upgrade their infrastructure.