Penang Gerakan vice-chairman Ong Thean Lye today described Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim’s views on vernacular school as “shallow and narrow” and “not contributing towards promoting national unity.

Ong said problems of racial polarization among the races should not be blamed solely on the education system alone, what more on the vernacular schools’ system.

“Racial polarization, if at all it is serious, does not come about because of the education system alone. In our varied multi-religious and multi-cultured Malaysian society, there are other factors involved, including government policies, civil rights, social justice and fairness,” said Ong in a statement.

“It is totally wrong of Zahrain to point the finger at vernacular schools. Zahrain must have forgotten about the national-type school (sekolah kebangsaan) system. He should not simply put the whole blame on vernacular schools,” Ong said.

Ong said that if there were some extremists’ views among the younger generation, they were “isolated” ones or the views of some individuals.

Zahrain had called for a review of vernacular schools, saying it could create racial polarization among the races.

“The government should look into abolishing vernacular schools and religious schools, and instead provide a single school system,” Zahrain at the Dewan Rakyat sitting on Wednesday.

Zahrain said that vernacular schools might have contributed to the problem of disunity and the emergence of extremist views among the younger generation.