Malaysian comedian Harith Iskander has sparked debate online after saying he believes Chinese vernacular primary schools, or SJKCs, should be abolished.
In a two-minute video shared on social media, Harith said that if he had the chance to redesign Malaysia’s education system from scratch, he would want all Malaysian children to grow up and study together under one common education system.
“I don’t agree with the idea of SJKCs”
Harith began the video by making his position clear.
“I think we should abolish Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC).”
He acknowledged that his opinion could be controversial and that some people would agree while others would strongly disagree.
However, he stressed that his views were not based on any dislike towards the people who support SJKCs.
“I don’t agree with the idea of SJKCs… not because I think the people who support it are bad people. In fact, I completely understand why they exist and why many Malaysian Chinese still value them,” he said.
Wants all Malaysian children to learn together
Harith said his ideal education system would see children from different backgrounds studying together from their first day of school.
Under his proposed system, Bahasa Malaysia would remain a main language of instruction, while English would be a compulsory subject. He also suggested making Mandarin compulsory in every national school, giving students from all backgrounds the opportunity to learn the language.
“Imagine every Malaysian child leaving school, being able to communicate confidently in Bahasa Malaysia and English, and also able to chat away in Mandarin. I think that would be amazing,” he said.
His views changed after hearing from parents
In a follow-up video, Harith said he received hundreds of comments and private messages after sharing his initial views.
One parent’s response, in particular, made him rethink parts of his position.
The parent reportedly explained that their decision to send their child to an SJKC was not based on politics, but because they believed the school offered better educational and future opportunities.
Harith said the comment made him realise that the debate may need to go beyond the question of whether SJKCs should exist.
“Why do parents choose SJKCs?”
According to Harith, the bigger question should be why some parents choose SJKCs over national schools in the first place. He argued that parents are ultimately looking for quality education and better opportunities for their children.
“Instead of asking why parents choose SJKCs, perhaps we should ask what it would take for parents to willingly send their children to national schools,” he said.
Harith added that parents should not be expected to stay loyal to any particular education system. Instead, schools should earn their trust by providing quality education and giving students the best opportunities for the future.
For him, the SJKC debate is therefore not just about language or race, but also about the quality of education and whether the national education system can win the confidence of Malaysian parents.
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