Them and Us

 

The invisible audience

 Friday night was the end of the two week Chinese New Year celebrations and the fireworks and crackers were being let off with great abundance not to mention the long dragon parading through the streets of Tuaran. I think I hadn't appreciated how important the end is as well as the beginning and the family try again to eat together and start the new year well making sure that all has been done to ensure prosperity for the coming year. Prosperity doesn't necessarily mean only money but it includes the health and happiness and prosperous crops of the family. I was fortunate to be invited to two Chinese schools this week to share with them in the celebrations of the end of the New Year. The Chinese schools are under a different scheme to the Malay schools in that the buildings are in charge of a committee chosen by the Chinese community but the teachers are paid by the government and their syllabus is different to include the Chinese language. They have a different ambience than the local schools in that everyone looks busy!!

The new school

Balancing lion

  The first school was a huge new school in KK just opened in January. I was proudly shown around by the headmaster and he pointed out the small village on the other side of the tall fence surrounding the school.
 " The illegal immigrants are angry that we have taken their land and we have tight security to protect ourselves." he told me. The attitude of fear and blame on the immigrant population is a common theme throughout the world and one that is strong here. We proceeded to be entertained by the children singing and dancing and then the finale was an amazing lion dance that involved the agility of the two men (under the lion) balancing on steel pillars. The pupils were wildly excited but what struck me was the small band of children that were staring at the show through the fence. Everyone acted as if they were invisible and the sad fact is that many immigrant children, even if they are born in Malaysia, do not have the right to any education.

  The second Chinese school was in a rural area where 95% of the pupils were non-Chinese. The local parents like the idea of their children learning Chinese and the more rigorous syllabus being implemented. A politician was also invited which always means MONEY and surprise surprise he did deliver. The VIP's were then invited on to the stage to mix the Yee Sang, which is a Cantonese tradition of mixing grated vegetables to represent the elements of good fortune for the year. The politician, having done his speech, given his money, been seen by the parents, left and missed the best part of the day with was the pupils performing wonderful dances and songs. Who would be a politician - not me?!!