Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email The news below caught my eye and made me think. I remember reading that in US, even the small towns and villages have a local library/newspaper office setup that records the events properly. Thus its not surprising to find information (events, personality) about these places for the last 200 – 300 years documented and well preserved. Unfortunately, we Malaysians don’t seem to have that kind of thinking. Probably we don’t see the importance or relevance of it, or its just not a priority thing to do.
Our history books also distorted towards one community, so we can’t have much faith in that.
So, while the MCA is making efforts to document the achievement of its community forefathers in the country (possibly to safeguard from attempts to downplay or even deny the community’s contributions by certain quarters), what are we doing? Any institutes or groups doing such work? Who has the resources to spearhead such venture? EWRF? MIC?
MCA has proposed to name a new school after Kapitan Cina Yap Ah Loy to commemorate one of the founding fathers of Kuala Lumpur.
MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said the school would be built in the Klang Valley.
He said it is among the 20 Chinese primary schools to be built in the country.
“I will announce its location and details later,” he told reporters after commemorating the 124th death anniversary of Yap at Kwong Tong Cemetery here yesterday.
Ong said Yap, who developed this city into a commercial and mining centre, had contributed greatly but his legacy seemed to have been overlooked.
“Only a small road in the city centre has been named after him,’’ he said.
In view of this, Ong said the party’s Chinese Community History Consultative Bureau, headed by Deputy Higher Education Minister Dr Hou Kok Chung, had been directed to document Yap’s contributions.
“His efforts should not be confined to a particular race or clan but all Malaysians,’’ he said.
Ong said similar research and recognition would also be done on other significant Chinese personalities in local history.
He said MCA would ensure that historical facts involving the Chinese community were properly documented so that they would not be forgotten.
