Deputy Education Minister calls for ongoing Chinese community support

Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the ministry wants the Chinese community to continue supporting Chinese schools.

This call was made following the controversy that arose from the charity event co-sponsored by Tiger Beer.

“The Cabinet wants everyone to see the next charity event,” he said, reported China Press. 

He said the issue was stirred up by Pas for political mileage. 

“This issue has been stirred up by Pas to attack a Muslim deputy minister, and it has evolved into an attack on beer companies and Chinese schools, which is unacceptable,” he said. 

He added that the Cabinet’s swift decision aims to suppress racial issues.

“The Cabinet’s quick handling is intended to give everyone the message that we will see the next charity event! This is very important,” he said. 

Wong praised Carlsberg and Tiger Beer for raising significant funds for Chinese schools over the past 37 years. 

Recently a controversy erupted when a photo showing Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu at a charity event sponsored by Tiger Beer went viral.

Following this, the Education Ministry (MoE) reminded education institutions to follow existing guidelines when organising events and accepting donations.

The guidelines forbade schools from accepting donations from sources such as gambling, tobacco, drugs, and alcohol due to concerns about their potential negative effects on students’ well-being. 

On July 24, Seremban MP Anthony Loke brought the issue to the Cabinet, suggesting a review of the ban on brewery donations.

On July 26, MoE announced that it allowed the Chinese schools to receive funding from breweries for charity events, provided the funds are channelled through the school’s boards and foundations. 

However, the events must not involve Muslim students.