Maszlee had said there were political motives behind the construction of the schools.

In a post on his Facebook account, Wee said the statement was nonsensical and accused Maszlee of turning education into a “political sacrificial lamb”.

“Local residents of new communities developed as a result of the urbanisation process expect additional schools to be constructed.

“How can construction of these schools be politically motivated?”

Wee said the construction, as well as relocation plans for 16 Chinese primary schools, had also been discussed and approved by the previous education minister after consulting the relevant departments within the education ministry.

“All of these were based on well-founded studies and approved by the ministry’s secretary-general.”

He said MCA itself had consulted various Chinese education groups, developers and professional technical teams, including land surveyors, quantity surveyors, engineers, urban planners and architects, to plan these schools.

“How can this process not be transparent? This plan has never been the sole achievement of MCA, nor was it a political gimmick.

“It has been carefully studied and planned, as well as implemented according to the needs of the local Chinese community.”

Wee also urged Chinese elected representatives from Pakatan Harapan to contribute to the Chinese community by promoting the development of Chinese education and staying committed to ensure the continuation of the original plans.

“Bring more good news to the Chinese community instead of merely providing empty talk.

“Do not forget that as a basic human right, education should not, and cannot, be made into a political sacrificial lamb.

“SJKCs (Chinese schools) need to be nurtured with sound development, not political tricks.”