The Malaysian Insight

PERLIS Mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin’s push for the closure of vernacular schools, claiming they destroy national unity, is bigoted and factually wrong, said Chinese education activists.

They said Chinese schools, especially, have a high number of non-Chinese pupils enrolled.

Malaysia Chinese Language Council chairman Wang Hong Cai said Asri has displayed his ignorance of vernacular education in Malaysia, and his prejudice towards Chinese and Tamil schools.

“Asri is ignoring the 200-year history of vernacular schools and the talent they have produced for the country, and is blaming them for communal friction instead,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

His comments come after the outspoken mufti, in a Facebook post, said Malaysia will always have racial conflicts so long as vernacular schools exist.

Asri also endorsed a dormant five-month-old online petition to shut vernacular schools, sharing a link to it. This led to a spike in signatures received.

His Facebook posts against vernacular schools have received hundreds of comments and thousands of “likes”.

Wang said Chinese primary schools, in particular, are not to blame for racial disunity, as they comprise pupils of different races.

Compared to national primary schools, where Bahasa Melayu is the primary medium of instruction, nearly 18% of pupils in Chinese schools are non-Chinese, and many of them are Malays, he said.

“Pupils of all ethnic groups learn together. There are also many non-Chinese university students studying in China now.

“Chinese primary schools recognise and accept racial diversity. Asri’s accusations show his ignorance of vernacular education and his bigoted views. Maybe, he has a personal agenda. He is ignoring the constitution and disregarding national unity.”

The federal constitution does not expressly guarantee vernacular schools’ right to exist, but is interpreted as protecting the right of these schools to remain under Article 152 on BM as the national language. The article allows the freedom to “teach, learn or use any other languages” except for federal or state government purposes. State and federal governments also have the power to allow “the use and study of the language of any other community”.

Wang urged the government not to allow statements like Asri’s to continue being made.

He said the rhetoric against vernacular schools over the past year, ignited by the controversial decision to introduce Jawi lessons for Year Four vernacular school pupils, has become worse and more common.

Putrajaya does not seem to be doing much to stem the rhetoric, or at least set things in perspective, he said.

“The government isn’t voicing any protest (to the rhetoric), but allowing the situation to continue. It can manufacture social unrest.”

Chua Kim Voon, president of the Selangor and Kuala Lumpur United Chinese School Committees’ Association, better known as Dong Zong, said the government must do more to correct the situation, even if it does not want to use harsher punishment on the grounds of allowing free speech.

“Asri is simply distorting the facts. He is politicising the issue so much that he is going beyond his role as a religious figure. He should go into politics instead.

“This issue has been so badly politicised, and now, religion has been introduced to cause further divisions.”

He said the real problem is not about languages other than BM, but politicians seeking to score points.

“I believe all ethnic groups in Malaysia live in harmony, but the politicians are the ones using race as a bargaining chip and inciting these issues.” – January 1, 2020.