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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-03-29 Daily Xml
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Malaysian-Chinese School Delegation

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:30): It is with great honour I rise today to speak about the visit of a Malaysian-Chinese school delegation to Adelaide. As the shadow parliamentary secretary for multicultural affairs and trade, as well as the first Malaysian-Chinese migrant to be elected in the South Australian parliament, it was indeed a great privilege to welcome the delegation of eight special guests from SJK (CINA) Wangsa Maju Primary School of Malaysia to Adelaide.

The delegation consists of Datuk Yew Teong Look, who was the key driver to set up Wangsa Maju school. He is the chairman of the school board, Director of Malayan Railways Limited (KTM) and also a former member of the Malaysian parliament. The distinguished Datuk Yew was joined by the lovely Ms Lim Soh Cheng, the school principal who happens to live in my old hometown of Kepong in Malaysia. It was a pleasure to meet Ms Lim, together with other passionate leaders, including Dr Lim Lek Chai, Ms Chin Kim Moi, Mr Yeap Ghim Chuan, Ms Tan Lay Hoo, Mr Siow Chin Hion and Mr Yoon Chin Toong.

I would like to place on the record my special thanks to the team at the Adelaide Institute of Business and Technology, particularly the very diligent Mr Don Chen, managing director, Dr Lim Lek Chai, board member and lecturer, and Philip Stewart, director of Adelaide International School, for their kind invitation to participate in the memorandum of understanding signing ceremony on 22 March 2017. The MoU provides the important collaborative framework between Adelaide International School, St George College and Wangsa Maju Chinese Primary School in Malaysia.

The tripartite MoU intentions include:

establishing a teacher exchange program once a year between the three schools;

establishing a student exchange program twice a year between the three schools;

setting up an overseas study advisory board at Wangsa Maju;

setting up an international language centre;

setting up a SACE international program centre at Wangsa Maju by Adelaide International School.

I had the honour to be the official witness for the signing of the MoU between the three dynamic principals: Ms Kerrie Evans, principal of Adelaide International School, Ms Gina Kadis, principal of St George College and Ms Lim Soh Cheng, principal of Wangsa Maju Primary School.

This MoU will enhance exchanges and development between two languages, two education systems, and also strengthen the bond between the people of South Australia and Malaysia. The Malaysian Wangsa Maju school was established in 2015 with a global focus. It is the first Chinese primary school ever to have an outreach program to overseas mainstream English schools. We are incredibly fortunate that Wangsa Maju school has selected South Australia as its primary footprint.

Many honourable members would know that St George College is a community focused school where their strong sense of community takes root from the rich cultural heritage of the Greek community, which founded the school in 1983. Through the great work and connections of Adelaide International School, St George College was identified to be a suitable partner to Wangsa Maju school.

All the schools that signed the MoU passionately embrace multiculturalism. They all have a strong focus on the development of cultural and linguistic competencies that will ensure their students are well prepared for the challenges and opportunities in an increasingly connected world. Under the leadership of Gina Kadis, principal of St George College, the school has a vision to be globally inclusive, which includes the introduction of the Chinese Mandarin language into their school curriculum. Dr Lim Lek Chai has provided me with some insights about Chinese education. He informed me that Chinese education in Malaysia has the most comprehensive system outside of mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The Chinese community generally believes that mother tongue education is about preserving the Chinese community's roots and heritage and a pathway to progress in society. I will always be forever grateful to my parents, who had the vision to send me to a Chinese primary school in Malaysia. I have benefited greatly from a bilingual educational system. I am confident that the partnership between the three schools will produce rewarding educational, cultural and economic outcomes for many years to come. I convey my heartfelt congratulations to the MoU partners and wish the three schools every success in a rewarding journey of collaboration.

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