Dong Zong turns to UN

PETALING JAYA: Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association) is drafting a complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Culture Organisation (Unesco) over what it claims is oppression and discrimination faced by vernacular schools in Malaysia.
Its president Yap Sin Tian said the Chinese education movement will also submit its views on the predicament of these schools to the prime minister, education minister and parliamentarians from both sides of the political divide, China Press reported today.
"Dong Zong, Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall and other non-Chinese organisations will soon release a joint document on their common stand, appeals and aspirations on education in Malaysia," Yap said at the installation ceremony of the inaugural executive committee of the Malaysian Alumni Association of Chinese Universities of Traditional Chinese Medicine, in Kuala Lumpur on Monday night.
Yap, who is adviser to the association, lamented that only five of the 23 traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) higher learning institutions from China accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) are recognised by the Public Service Department (PSD).
He urged the government to ensure that the PSD recognises the qualifications of the rest of the TCM universities and colleges soon.
He also suggested that the TCM fraternity in the country pool their resources to raise awareness of Chinese organisations on the issue to fight for the rights of TCM practitioners.