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news without borders
More graduates to teach
Chinese in schools
by Tan Yi Liang
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: More than 600
university graduates have been re-
cruited to teach Chinese in schools,
Deputy Education Minister Datuk
Wee Ka Siong said yesterday.
“This year, we have recruited 566
graduate teachers to teach Chinese
in Chinese national-type schools and
79 in government schools,” he told
reporters after witnessing the hand-
ing over of government assistance
totalling RM200,000 to SJKC Chung
Hwa (Damansara) here.
Wee said the response by gradu-
ates to the teaching scheme had
improved compared with last year,
when 534 teachers were recruited.
Under the programme, gradu-
ates are provided with 12 months of
teacher training.
Asked about a requirement that
applicants for teacher training last
year must have graduated before
2007, Wee said: “I have directed an
investigation into this. If a person has
to wait and be jobless for 12 months
before being recruited into teaching
college, I think there is something
wrong.”
Responding to questions on the
recent protests against the teaching
of science and mathematics in Eng-
lish, which had drawn support from
activists such as national laureate A.
Samad Said, Wee said the findings of
five round-table discussions would
be tabled before the cabinet.
“We have conducted five round-
table discussions and the findings of
these discussions will be submitted
to the education minister. I am sure
the minister will submit the findings
to the cabinet. We will leave it to
cabinet to decide,” he said.
Wee also said the 30 who had
gathered at a shopping mall last
week to protest against the teach-
ing of science and mathematics in
English were “entitled to their beliefs
and we cannot stop them”.
“Eventually, we will have to
come up with a solution, a concrete
solution, and it can be done by the
cabinet,” he said.
Earlier, Transport Minister and
MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee
Keat, who handed over a cheque for
RM200,000 from the government to
SJKC Chung Hwa (Damansara), said
the assistance should be seen as “not
just a mere election gimmick”.
“Every time we hand out a
cheque, people assume it is linked
to a general election. The elections
are over and we are here solely to
fulfil our promise to help develop the
school,” he said.
Dr M to lead speakers at ‘Forum for Palestine’
by Hemananthani Sivanandam
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala
Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise
War (KLFCW) will hold a “Forum for
Palestine” on Thursday.
Foundation chairman and former
prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Moha-
mad will deliver a special address at
the forum, to be held at The Crowne
Plaza Mutiara Hotel.
The other speakers are Cynthia
McKinney, Prof Gurdial Njiar, Prof
Michel Chossudovsky, Matthias
Chang and Prof Salleh Buang.
Wanita MCA
chief Chew
Mei Fun
(left), Ong
and Wee
with Year
One pupils
at SJKC
Chung Hwa
(Damansara).
ZULKIFLI ERSAL/THESUN
McKinney, a US presidential candi-
date and former congresswoman and
long-time activist for the Palestinians,
will share her experience on how her
boat collided with an Israeli naval
ship on Dec 30 as it tried to enter
the coastal waters around Gaza to
provide medical supplies.
Chossudovsky, a professor of eco-
nomics at the University of Ottawa,
will speak on the hidden agenda
behind the Gaza genocide.
Chang, a former political secretary
to Mahathir, will speak on the unyield-
ing spirit of Palestinian resistance.
Salleh, a former deputy dean at
theSun | TUESDAY FEBRUARY 3 2009
Sports Toto
enthusiast hits
RM5m jackpot,
thanks to son
PETALING JAYA: Children are not
always a “burden” and can bring luck
to their parents instead.
That is what a self-employed man in
his 40s learnt when he won RM5 million
in the Sports Toto 6D Game on Jan 17.
The winner had sought a palmist’s
advice and was told his children would
him wealth and luck. So he followed the
advice and started betting on numbers
related to his children.
“When I bought a watch for my son
last November, I saw the serial number
565323 engraved on its back,” he said.
“My instincts told me it could bring me
wealth and luck.”
The man continued to buy the
number for almost two months and,
riding on the festive mood of the Chi-
nese New Year, he raised his bet on the
number to RM50.
As the RM1 bet pays RM100,000 in
the 6D game, the man’s winning was
RM5 million.
Asked how he would spend the prize
money, the winner said he would invest
some in property and keep the rest in
the bank.
According to Sports Toto Malaysia,
two Toto enthusiasts – one from Johor
and one from Sabah – also hit the jack-
pot on Jan 24.
The Mega 6/52 jackpot of
RM8,526,945 was won by the player
from Johor and the 6/42 jackpot of
RM3,343, 860 was won by the Saba-
han.
the International Islamic University,
will discuss the Kuala Lumpur war
crimes tribunal.
Gurdial, who has represented
Malaysia and the legal profession at
international forums, will speak on
indicting Israel for war crimes.
The forum will be from 9am to
5pm. A registration fee of RM50 is
payable at the entrance. All proceeds
will go to victims of the conflict.
KLFCW is an NGO established in
March 2007.
For further inquiries, call 019-
3843913 or 012-2270159 or visit
www.criminalisewar.com