KUALA LUMPUR: The effort by the Chinese community to prioritise its own interests does not come at the expense of the country’s interests, says political commentator Tang Ah Chai (pic).
“We must consider the country as a whole and recognise that national and ethnic interests can coexist without contradicting each other.
“It is an undeniable fact that the Chinese community has contributed to the building of the country; it was true a century ago, it is true today, and it continues in the future.
“The connection between the Chinese community and this land (Malaysia) is very strong,” he said at the Malaysian Chinese Symposium 2024 at Wisma MCA here yesterday.
For the future, Tang said the Chinese should also consider using their resources to establish and provide funding for think tanks for the community.
“By leveraging on the resources from talents and finances, the community can move toward improving its ideologies and actions and focus on long-term goals,” he added.
He also suggested conducting more research on the Malay and other populations in Sabah and Sarawak, in addition to the Chinese community, to foster better understanding and collaboration among the various ethnic groups.
Another panellist, Koh Kok Wee, said the Chinese community had not compromised on the right to citizenship, education and freedom of religion.
“The younger Chinese generation, who has taken citizenship for granted, are unaware of the difficulties our forefathers had faced in the past,” he said.
He proposed including the struggles of the forefathers in the school curriculum.
Kok said Chinese education in the country continues to be promoted. He went on to say that learning the Chinese language is not only important because of China’s rise, but it will also help to ensure the future of Chinese culture.
