DAP Wants To Be In Your Kid’s History Textbook, MCA Says: For What, Exactly?

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A proposal by DAP Secretary-General Anthony Loke to include the party’s contributions in Malaysia’s history syllabus has drawn a sharp rebuke from MCA, which questioned what DAP has actually done to merit a place in school textbooks.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday (13 May), Ong Chee Siang, chairman of MCA Youth’s Education Advisory Bureau, challenged the basis of Loke’s suggestion, arguing that DAP — founded in 1966 — played no part in Malaya’s independence in 1957 or the formation of Malaysia in 1963.

What contributions has DAP made, having governed for barely a year, that schoolchildren need to learn and remember?

MCA and DAP sit within the same ruling Madani coalition government — though the two parties have spent decades as bitter rivals, competing for the same Chinese Malaysian voter base.

MCA to Loke: You’re No Founding Father

The exchange is less a surprise than a reminder that the coalition is, at its core, an arrangement of convenience between old enemies who have never quite buried the hatchet.

Ong’s post argued that the historical record belongs to Barisan Nasional’s (BN) predecessor, Parti Perikatan — specifically UMNO and MCA — which he said were the principal forces that fought for and secured the country’s independence.

History that cannot be erased is the contributions and role of Barisan Nasional, formerly Parti Perikatan, in which UMNO and MCA, in particular, were the main forces demanding the nation’s independence.

He questioned whether Anthony Loke’s name could stand alongside the founding fathers of the nation — Tunku Abdul Rahman, the country’s first Prime Minister and the man known as Bapa Kemerdekaan, the father of independence; Tun Tan Cheng Lock, the founder of MCA and the principal Chinese representative in the negotiations that secured Malayan independence; and Tun VT Sambanthan, who led MIC and represented the Indian community at the same historic table.

Together, the three men formed the backbone of Parti Perikatan — the Alliance — whose negotiations with the British resulted in Malayan independence on 31 August, 1957.

Ong was not alone; Saw Yee Fung, MCA Youth’s Secretary-General, also took aim at Loke, saying DAP had “sudah tunjuk belang mereka” — shown their true colours — with the proposal.

@saw_yee_fung #DAP nak masuk dalam buku teks #sejarah pula? Biar betul! Korang setuju ke? #madani #fyp ♬ original sound – Yee Fung Saw

Broken Promises, Not History

Ong went further, suggesting that if DAP’s record were to be documented, it should include what he described as unfulfilled election promises — among them the pledge to shut down the Lynas rare earth plant, the continued presence of highway toll charges and AES speed cameras, now rebranded under the name AWAS.

Loke’s original suggestion was that DAP’s role in shaping Malaysia’s political landscape be reflected in the national history curriculum, in recognition of the party’s significance since its founding.

Political analysts have noted the proposal reflects a broader push by parties across the spectrum to ensure their contributions are recognised within Malaysia’s official historical narrative.

The Education Ministry has not publicly responded to Loke’s proposal.

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DAP Wants To Be In Your Kid’s History Textbook, MCA Says: For What, Exactly?