Tiger Beer's fundraiser concert for Chinese school in Malaysia raises opposition’s hackles, highlights state funding woes

KUALA LUMPUR: As a board member of his alma mater, a Chinese vernacular school, lawyer Wong Kong Fatt knows how difficult it is to raise funds for new buildings, halls and classrooms.  

Receiving little government funding, the school has no choice but to raise funds from public sources and private entities.

Last year, it targeted RM5 million (US$1.07 million) in a fundraiser organised by beer brand Tiger and Chinese media company Sin Chew, and ended up exceeding the amount, said Mr Wong, who represents the United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) and the United Chinese School Teachers' Association (Jiao Zong).

“A lot of money is needed for repairs of old buildings as well as to modernise them,” he said. Funds are also needed for acquiring land.

Mr Wong declined to name his alma mater, given feverish debate brewing over Malaysia’s vernacular schools receiving help from alcohol companies to raise funds.

Earlier this month, the country’s deputy housing and local government minister Aiman Athirah Sabu was pictured with a mock cheque for over RM3 million at a concert fundraiser for Tche Min school, a vernacular primary school in the state of Selangor. The mock cheque bore the logo of Tiger Beer.

Opposition politician Mohamed Sukri Omar, Selangor Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) Youth chief, seized on the issue and asked if it was an attempt at normalising alcohol in schools. He claimed that the sanctity of Islam would be increasingly threatened by the liberal attitude.

Other politicians and the Education Ministry waded into the debate. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said on Tuesday that all schools, including vernacular schools, are not to receive funds from tobacco or alcohol sponsors. 

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