No need for controversy over Chinese school fundraising, says Anthony Loke

ANTHONY Loke wants an end to the controversy over a Chinese school fundraising event involving a beer company.

The DAP secretary-general said all school donations should adhere to the guidelines set by the Education Ministry.

The transport minister said that these practices align with existing policies and had been discussed by the cabinet.

“These fundraising programmes have been conducted for vernacular schools to raise funds without any issue for years. There is no need to create controversy over this matter, which has been practised without any problems for a long time.

“Unfortunately, some parties are trying to politicise it and turn this into an issue,” he was quoted as saying at a press conference in Klang today.

He noted that the guidelines and existing practices were discussed by the cabinet to enhance clarity and respect cultural sensitivities.

“This means that school sponsorships can continue as long as they do not involve Muslim students. In primary schools, while the programmes can proceed, the brand logos of companies cannot be displayed.

“Outside school premises, there are no restrictions on logos and most of these events occur in places like restaurants,” he was quoted as saying.

Loke said the fundraising events primarily involve parents and the public – not the students.

“The purpose of such events is to support school funding, and this has been practised for a long time without any issue among non-Muslim communities.

“The guidelines clearly clarify that the organisers should be more cautious, and the fundraising events can continue without any issue,” he said.

On July 26, the Education Ministry said in a statement that it would maintain the existing guidelines on school donations and prohibited any promotion of alcohol within school areas.

This decision was approved by the cabinet on Wednesday.

Controversy erupted over fundraising for Chinese-language schools after a photograph showed a deputy minister accepting a RM3 million mock cheque bearing a Tiger Beer logo at a recent fundraising event.

The company producing Tiger Beer has said it did not give any money to the school but rather held a concert to raise funds for it. 

PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, who is the Pasir Mas MP, had said earlier that the party might not be able to work with Gerakan in the next general election if its partner maintained its stance on the sponsoring of Chinese-language schools by alcohol companies. – July 29, 2024.