VERNACULAR SCHOOLS - EMBLEZZLEMENT OF FUNDS AND NO ALLOCATION IN 9MP.

It looks as though the issue of vernacular schools projects funding raised by Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat have a lot of merits in them and his recent humilation not only by his so-called 'friends' in the Barisan Nasional but also from the Cabinet without properly investigating the allegations raised. Datuk Ong Tee Keat had informed that he was told by a school in Muar of this incident, and just to bring calm, he had told in public that he is been given to believe that some embezzlement of school project funds have been reported to him and he will bring this matter up for consideration. This good gesture received alarming results the following day since the chinese dailies had reported them. Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein and his deputy Datuk Hon Choon Kim had the next day rebutted the issue saying there was no such incident as reported and went further to accuse Ong for interferring into the affairs of the Education ministry. Now, we have come to realise that there is such a embezzlement of funds, where a payment of about RM30,000 was paid out while the amount of work done is only valued at RM3,000 in a chinese school in Muar, Johor. But to our surprise, the Cabinet had not taken any action against Hishamuddin, Hon Choon Kim or Samy Vellu for misinforming them and the rakyat on the issue. Even Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the whole Cabinet need to be reprimanded for not investigating the issue before imposing sanction against Ong for his mere statement to calm the situation. It looks to us that the whole Cabinet is just sleeping similarily like our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as reported in the media recently(picture shown). It had been reported yesterday, that Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is personally investigating this matter. It seems that there is some deficiency on the part of the government in controlling these projects. This is a mere RM30,000 project, how about the Millions and Billions spent. Surely, there must be a similar issue there that our government is covering-up. The Auditor-General and the PAC need to conduct a thorough investigation and let the rakyat know of any shortcomings that have been detected.

Today, it was further informed that the Nineth Malaysia Plan (9MP) had not provided any allocation of funds for the construction or renovaction of vernacular schools despite the assurance given by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the lack of Barisan Nasional non-malay leaders caring for their respective communities.