JOHOR BARU: Demand for Chinese education should be respected as these schools provide a choice for parents and their children, says Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

       The former prime minister said despite pressure from certain parties while he was in the government, he still went ahead and approved applications by Foon Yew High School, an established Chinese education provider here, to set up branches in Kulai and Seri Alam.

       “I hold on to the philosophy that education must be open to all and that Malaysians have the right to choose what kind of education they want for their children.

       “There is a demand from the Chinese community and we should respect this.

       “Our forefathers chose the road of integration for the country and not assimilation like Indonesia and Thailand where not a Chinese vernacular school can be found.

       “Chinese education should not be an issue. What is important is for schools to continue to educate future generations whose hearts and minds are loyal to the country,” he said at Foon Yew High School’s Seri Alam campus here yesterday.

       An appreciation ceremony was held to thank him for his role in setting up the branches.

       Najib said the school’s warm reception reminded him of the Chinese proverb “those who drink water from the well will not forget the person who dug the well”.

       Asked whether his efforts with Chinese education would garner Chinese support for Barisan Nasional, the Pekan MP said the coalition had been proven to be a “moderate government and not racist”.

       Najib approved the Kulai Foon Yew High School branch in 1999 when he was the education minister.

       In 2016, Najib, the then prime minister, approved the setting up of the school’s Seri Alam campus as promised during the 13th General Election.

       The school’s chairman Tay Chin Hein said Najib visited the campus as part of his series of programmes in Johor Baru.

       “He wanted to take a look at the school so we welcomed him as a way of expressing our gratitude for his assistance in setting up both branches.

       “The three schools have a combined student count of about 12,300 and staff of about 700,” he said.