PETALING JAYA: Former Cameron Highlands MP Datuk Sivarraajh Chandran has rebuked Bersatu Youth leader’s call to abolish vernacular schools to strengthen the Malay language.
In a statement today, he stressed that such a view is nothing more than another fundamentalist political rhetoric that will continue to widen the gap of unity among Malaysians of various races, religions, and cultures.
“I follow closely on the recent development, especially on Bersatu Youth, which opined that the Malay language can only be upheld as the national language if vernacular education is abolished.
“For me, such a view jeopardising national unity,“ Sivarraajh said in a statement today.
Sivarraajh also pointed out that vernacular education is a colonial legacy system, and he stressed that the importance of its existence had been acknowledged through a series of discussions in the early period of the Malaysian nation.
“The Razak Report 1956 enabled a national and vernacular education system, with Malay as the main medium of instruction while other languages are allowed as the medium of instruction in vernacular schools.”
“It is irresponsible to use the vernacular education system as a punching bag in order to portray oneself as a national language fighter.”
“Many Indians or Chinese, and even vernacular education graduates, are much more fluent in the Malay language today. Please do not come up with such a half-baked statements or views just to look like a hero and gain political support,“ Sivarraajh said.
Recently, Deputy National Unity Minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, reportedly called for vernacular schools to be phased out.
However, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal clarified that he merely wanted the institution to strengthen the Malay language and not abolish them.
Meanwhile, Bersatu Youth information chief Mohd Ashraf Mustaqim Badrul Munir said the syllabus in vernacular schools deviates from Malaysian history and has failed to uphold the national language.
