In a statement, he said parents realised the need to distance their children from alcohol. However, he said a lack of funds would leave Chinese schools in dilapidated condition, which in turn would affect the learning, health, safety and well-being of students.
Lim said it was this alternative that had seen non-Muslim parents accept sponsorships by brewery companies over the past 37 years.
“In other words, non-Muslim parents do not fear their children in Chinese or vernacular schools being influenced by brewery companies as much as they fear for the survival of these schools without much needed development funds,” he said.
He also said that non-Muslim parents “took umbrage” at being “lectured” about what constitutes healthy practices in raising their children, adding that there had been no complaints about students being influenced by breweries to drink or get drunk.
Fundraising for Chinese-medium schools became an issue after PAS criticised a deputy minister for receiving a mock cheque for RM3 million bearing the logo of Tiger Beer at a recent fundraiser in Selangor.
Last week, the education ministry said it would maintain the existing guidelines on donations to schools, that contributions cannot display or promote alcohol brands on school premises.
It also said that the Cabinet had agreed to give leeway for vernacular schools to accept donations through their board of directors or foundation.
In his statement today, Lim hit out at “holier than thou” critics of such donations, whom he said ignored the fact that these schools were dependant on public donations.
The former finance minister said Tiger and Carlsberg had raised a combined RM981 million for vernacular schools since 1987, a sum he described as critical given the shortfall in development funding by the education ministry.
He also cited the 2022 budget which had set aside RM120 million for Chinese- and Tamil-type schools – an amount which he said was “grossly insufficient”.
Ultimately, he added, only RM110 million was given.
“It is ironic that those condemning vernacular schools for allowing brewery companies to be involved in sponsoring fundraising for them do not press the education ministry to make up for the difference from such sponsorship by brewery companies,” he said.
“Why the double standard?”