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来源：新加坡文献馆（09/01/2010） 2010年1月5日南洋商报《大马非华裔新生争相读华校》报导新学期伊始，有越来越多的巫印裔孩子被送到华校就读，一股新的“中华潮”逐渐在马来西亚形成…几乎每一间华校都有华印裔新生报读…在乡郊区或微型华小的巫印裔生人数更多。 同一天，光华日报报导马来西亚 (Malaysia) 华校教师会总会发表《2009年华小课题回顾》回顾和了解过去一整年华小面对的各种问题，其中如政府不承认独中统考文凭、国中华文科的地位问题，以及国家公共服务局奖学金遴选偏差…种种问题…。 2010 年1月4日星洲日报的《大马独中毕业生升学率调查》指出2007年達80%，國內升學佔55%，國外升學約25%…國內升學主要到私立大學和外國在馬設立 的分院。國外升學方面主要到台灣（14%）、新加坡（9%）、澳洲（4%）、中國（3%）以及日本、英國、美國和紐西蘭各佔1%。…不管是歐美、亞洲一般 傳統國家大學都承認統考文憑。 2010年1月3日星洲日报的《李光耀後悔沒有早點關閉南大》报导李光耀後悔沒有早點關閉南洋大學，而決定關閉主要是因為當時的華文大學流失優秀生，只能招收次等生。李光耀亦指出单靠华文无法过活，以及南大生不敢用南大文凭应征。 这4则新闻分别反映了华文教育在马来西亚和新加坡的两种全然不同的结局：华文教育在马来西亚虽然处境困难却能在逆境中培育出优秀的学生。华文教育在新加坡李光耀政权下却全盘崩溃。何以会是如此？要如何了解这些现象？ 首先，新马的华文教育兴衰是政治博奕的结果。在马来西亚的马来政权下，大马华社保留了一定的政治势力，所以华文教育在华人政治的庇护下依然能够逆流而上。相反的，新加坡在人民行动党的一党专政下反对势力荡然无存，在李光耀的华人去中国化政策下，华文教育的消失是政策上的必然结果。重要的历史认知是，新加坡华文教育消失是政策结果，并不是家长不选择华校。这是因为当政策歧视华文教育时，家长必然不会选择被歧视的学校。换言之，政策是因，家长选择是果。所以李光 耀政权把责任归咎于家长选择是本末倒置，政策才是罪魁祸首。 其二，华文教育是优秀的教育，这是不争之事实。香港，台湾和中国大陆 的教育体系都培育了不少优秀人才。东南亚经济的发展主要是由华商推动，而华校就是培育华社人力资源的场所。上世纪80年代的亚洲经济奇迹出现时就有所谓的儒家思想有利经济发展之论说。当年的李光耀不就大力提倡儒家教育和亚洲价值观？许多在为新加坡经济发展做出贡献的大马华人是独中生，华校培育优秀人才是无 可置疑的。所以新加坡华校生是次等生之说纯是一孔之见，无稽之谈。 其三，大马华小的华裔，马来与印度学生都没有面对教学方法错 误，或者认识象形文字有所困难等等问题。此外，大马的华文水平足以媲美港台大陆，而新加坡华文水平却是每愈况下。新加坡华人家庭只是双语文教育，而大马华人家庭却是三语文教育：马来文，英文和华文。由此可见，新加坡学习华文的所谓困难都仅是托辞不能当真。华人放弃学习的真实原由是因为华人文化倍受歧视的自然结果，李光耀的南大文凭贬值论就是其中精典。 其四，大马独中文凭虽然在国内没有受到政府承认但是却受到欧美国家的传统大学承认。实际上，新加坡政府提供的亚细安学者奖学金亦不排除独中生。显然的，大马华校生都是优秀学生。这些事实证明大马独中文凭之所以不受承认完完全全是因为政治因素和独中生的素质全然无关。 其五，南洋大学的文凭多年不受新加坡政府的承认，但南洋大学毕业生还是受到欧美澳等国家大学的接受，并在海外大学取得优秀的学术表现。徐冠林刚上任南理大时的电视访谈中坦然承认南大生在海外的声誉远胜新大生。可见南洋大学之所以不受李光耀政权的承认亦全然是政治因素和南大学生素质无关。尤有甚者，当年资源更为薄弱的义安学院虽然亦教育来自同一中学教育体系的毕业生，而其文凭却没有不受承认的困扰。李光耀政权何以厚此薄彼？ 其六，令南 大生背负一辈子沉重政治压力的白里斯葛报告书对南大文凭的判断是子虚乌有之事。审核全凭秘密供证，之后毁灭一切供词，过程由1959年2月17日始至3月 12日终；而第1届毕业典礼是在1年后的1960年4月2日。委员既没有视察大学运作，亦无审核学生作业也设有约谈学生，其论判根据是因为草创大学欠缺资 源不能提供良好的学习环境。这一论断如果正确无误，那么，在兵荒马乱中的西北联合大学是不可能培育出李政道这么一位荣获诺贝尔奖的科学家。可见，白里斯葛报告是何等的荒谬，而利用报告来否定南大之辈是何等的无良。负屈含冤的南洋大学入土30年，却一而再，再而三的惨遭鞭尸，这又是何等恶劣的缺德行为。 其七，李光耀的单靠华文无法过活论明显脱离现实，真实的现象是中国来的新移民大部分或至少泰半都只晓中文不懂英文。实际上，许多外来新移民都不懂得英文，何 以他们能夠到来工作就业？李光耀塑造的新加坡社会把英语文掌握能力等同智慧与办事能力既是偏见更是无知；这种见识是可悲亦可怜岂能成就一个优雅社会。 其八，南大生不敢用南大文凭应征不仅仅是个人与家庭的悲剧，更是一个文明社会的特大悲剧，试问，世界上除了新加坡之外还会有那一个民主文明国家会出现如此残 酷对待国民的社会现象？更重要的是，这一件事实并不能否定南大生的素质，却反而明确证明了李光耀政权是如何塑造了一个歧视南大生的畸形新加坡社会。这不是南大生的耻辱，这是新加坡社会的耻辱，更是李光耀政权的耻辱。 有关华文教育与南洋大学是政治问题的文献俯拾即是；从这些文献中可以了解华文教育的政治内涵以及华文教育一路走来的坎坷历程。比如Christopher Tremewan的文字就精简的描绘了华文教育在新加坡所经历的过程。 Christopher Tremewan (1994: 83) ：为了摧毁华文教育体系的政治势力，人民行动党政府持续了英国人的政策，那就是，只对那些愿意接受政府控制的学校提供财政经费援助，以及逮捕所有反对政府的人士。除此之外，1961年起始华校体系必须追随现有英校体系…1963年教育制度已经划一…政府兴办政府中学…学校管理委员会受政府控制…其政策结果是政府在体制上瓦解了原有的华社组织框架，打击了其激进的领导层，和建立了本身的强大组织去支持政府。对华文教育的致命攻击是全面对付其最高学府-南洋大学-这是华人教育成功的最大标志。在这个过程中，学生和教职员在政治活动罪名下受到逮捕，开除和驱逐出境。1964年的改制引发广泛的抗议活动，政府以镇压手段瓦解反抗。大学创办人陈六使的公民权被褫夺，因为政府指控他允许自已被极端种族主义分子利用去鼓吹在马来亚的共产党活动。…1966年，义安学院，另一所由潮卅社团兴办的华人高等学府亦面对同样的厄运。 Christopher Tremewan (1994: 88) ：政府快速推行英文为主流语言文字，其理由是英文是国际上的商用语文。英文不再是令人憎恨的殖民地言文，而是，根据人民行动党精英的说法，是各个民族的自 然的共用语文。在东南亚地区的各国中新加坡是很奇特的，它鼓励人民应用前殖民主的语文，并且不明文的规定英文是主要语文。到了1970年进入英校的学生远 远的超越了其他语文学校。虽然官方宣称4种语文有平等地位，实际上，只有英文独领风骚。双语文政策的施行是为了平息民族社群对失去母语教育的愤怒和抗议。双语文政策让各族学生以第二语文教学方式去学习自已的母语。双语文政策在华社遇到不少抗议，因为华社有各自的方言群体，把华语规定为华人母语将会冲击以方 言为主的华人社区架构。华人社区中只有1个百分点的人口是以华语为母语的家庭。 Christopher Tremewan (1994: 89) ：自1969年以来双语文政策让人民行动党平息了华社的异议舆论，与此同时，亦让政府全面摧毁华人教育体系。政府要求南洋大学学生学习双语文。1975年 始南大1年级新生是在英语文为教学语文的新环境上课。1978年始南大1年级新生和英文源流的新加坡大学一并上课。一名人民行动党部长说：所有大专学府都要以英语文授课。1979年始大学中只有中华语言文学系是以中文教学。1980年南大并入新大成为国立大学。最后的一招痛击是把前南大校园改建为一所工艺学院，让南大重复了早年义安学院的厄运。在消灭了左翼政治之后，华文教育体系亦逐步的瓦解，在这些反对势力都消失后，华语文成为人民行动党的政治语文。有些观察家认为华语文为第二语文的政策目的是让人民行动党培植华人族群意识以抗衡来自马来社群的民族意识。这种观察有其真实性，人民行动党是再次运用种族政 治的伎俩以保障自已的政权。更重要的一点是，人民行动党通过提倡英语文来否决了华社有自已的华人教育体系。华语为华人母语的结果亦把华人的真正母语-方言 -局限在更小的社区里，这种社区是在逐步的消失，因为孩子们的英语和华语是他们家中长辈完全不懂得语文。人民行动党政府利用语文政策重新规划了华人的社会 空间，让华人按政府的安排各就各位去为经济发展做出贡献。历史的讽刺是受英文教育的当权者在利用华语文为工具来维护自已的政治利益。 回顾历史，华文教育的消逝不仅是新加坡华人的损失，亦是整个东南亚华人社会的损失。新加坡原本可以成为东南亚华人的文化，经济与政治中心，奈何李光耀政权只体会到西方资本世界能为新加坡带来的好处，没有意识到东南亚华商以及世界华商能为新加坡带来的更大商机。新加坡近年来大力鼓吹世界华商运动或许就是希望能夠从新出发。诚然，知过能改善莫大焉。  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent A 26 year old Nigerian man, Amanchukwu Chukwuma has been charged for the muder of a 25 year old Singapore woman whose decomposed body was found abandoned in Bukit Panjang two weeks ago. Her identity was established on Tuesday through forensic DNA matching. She is Miss Liu Shujuan who worked as a casher at a Shop and Save supermarket at Bukit Panjang. Amanchukwu came to Singapore at the end of 2007 on a "S" pass. It is not known what his previous occupation was. He did not leave Singapore after his pass expired in February 2008 and continued to live in Singapore where he met Miss Liu who became his girlfriend. According to neighbors, Miss Liu appeared to be passionately in love with her black boyfriend. The couple was often spotted chatting at Bukit Panjang Park till the middle of the night. However the relationship turned sour and ended in August last year. On 22 December 2009, Amanchukwu arranged to meet up with Miss Liu at Bukit Panjang park. A fight broke out between them and Amanchukwu allegedly beat Miss Liu to her death with his bare fists. For reasons yet to be revealed, he stripped her down to her panties and abandoned her corpse at the park. Amanchukwu did not leave the country after the murder and remained in Singapore where he was napped at his present girlfriend's home in Boon Lay. An international drug syndicate run by Nigerians who preyed on Singapore women to serve as drug mules for them was busted last year in Malaysia. Since 2005, at least 12 Singaporean women had been jailed in various countries for carrying drugs on behalf of their African boyfriends who vanished almost immediately when they got into trouble. Like Miss Liu, the 12 women share a similar profile: All hold Singapore passports, had no criminal record, were in their 20s or 30s, single and working in clerical, sales and service jobs. Due to the ruling party's liberal immigration policies, large number of foreigners have flocked to Singapore to find work including Africans especially from Nigeria. While in the past, foreigners are employed only in sectors shunned by Singaporeans, an increasingly number of "S" passes are given for "semi-skilled" workers like Amanchukwu whose jobs can be easily taken up by Singaporeans. There are no statistics available on crimes committed in Singapore by foreigners including PRs. A few days ago, a 32 year old PRC lady was charged for operating brothels in two HDB estates. It is not known how they manage to get a permit to work in Singapore in the first place. Singapore's octogenarian leader MM Lee Kuan Yew said recently that the ruling party is very "stringent" in picking only the "best" foreign "talents" to work and live in Singapore. Foreigners now make up 36 per cent of Singapore's population, up from 14 per cent in 1990. Despite rising resentment and anger among Singaporeans at the relentless influx of foreigners, the ruling party is adamant that Singapore needs foreigners to help boost its flagging birth rates. At the rate the ruling party is mass importing foreigners from elsewhere, Singaporeans may have to put up with newcomers from more "exotic" places like Nigeria and other African countries.  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent Faced with increasing stiff competition from alternative news sites popular with young Singaporeans, The Straits Times has resorted to spreading its "propaganda message" directly to secondary school students through its weekly magazine "IN". Equipped with the most inappropriate byline - "Thinking is IN", the magazine has introduced ready-made "classroom" features after consultation with teachers, students and experts from the Ministry of Education which is redesigned to mine the paper for its "educational value". In an interview with The Straits Times today, the supervising editor of IN Ms Berthan Henson said: "The revamp was to put a greater focus on the teaching of the English language, this time with exercises that cater for secondary school students with differing grasps of the language." Editorial consultant Sonia Sng, 38, who develops the curriculum-based lessons, added: "Students usually start off thinking there's nothing for them in the newspaper; that it's boring...... But use the newspaper in lessons, especially Singapore-based news, and suddenly they realise that there is a relevance, and their natural curiosity is awakened." "IN" contains a mixture of local news and on issues affecting the students such as a recent article on back-to-school blues. As expected, its articles are mostly aligned to the establishment which stimulates little critical thinking or analyses. All newspapers in Singapore including the Straits Times, are owned by the Singapore Press Holdings, a state-linked company which is headed by a former PAP minister Dr Tony Tan. The Singapore media is ranked a pathetic 133th position in the world on the World Press Index in terms of media freedom and independence conducted yearly by respected international NGO Reporters without Borders. The state media's coverage on local news and politics are almost always tilted in favor of the ruling party whose leaders are often portrayed as saints and their opponents as radical crankpots or traitors. Though nominally a democracy in name, Singapore has only two opposition members in parliament out of eighty four. The ruling party is guaranteed to win elections after elections as few Singaporeans dare to join the opposition to challenge it. Law Minister Shanmugam had earlier suggested introducing "political education" in Singapore schools to educate young Singaporeans on the "different political systems" in the world as to enable them to make an "informed" decision on the type of system most suitable for Singapore. With all the state agencies firmly under its control, the ruling party can use the vast resources available to "indoctrinate" future generations of voters so that they will be compliant to the obsolete, archaic and repressive one-party system promulgated by the PAP to preserve its own political hegemony.  Read More →