Sun Sep 15 11:48:00 UTC 2024: ## Deputy Prime Minister Offers Free TVET Places in China for Malaysian Chinese and Indian Students
**SHAH ALAM, Sept 15:** Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that Chinese and Indian students will be offered free Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) placements in China. This initiative, he revealed, was conveyed to MIC president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran and MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
Zahid emphasized his commitment to inclusivity in education, stating, “I am very colour-blind when it comes to education.” He reiterated that all 1,345 TVET institutes nationwide are open to students of all backgrounds, declaring, “Chinese children are my children, Indian children are my children.”
Addressing the issue of vernacular schools, Zahid affirmed that the government respects the Federal Court’s ruling on their constitutionality, which reflects their stance on the matter. He stressed the importance of respecting the rights of ethnic groups to use their mother tongue in vernacular schools, a belief he shared with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Furthermore, Zahid revealed that a portion of the RM200 million allocated for TVET programmes will be channeled to Tafe College and VTAR Institute. He assured the audience that this initiative was not a political promise.
The announcement was made during the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) annual general meeting. The event was also attended by Vigneswaran, Dr Wee, and Barisan Nasional secretary-general and Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir.
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