MALAY leaders in Pakatan Harapan must defend the decision to introduce khat in vernacular schools next year, said Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said the objections of Dong Zong and Jiao Zong were proof of the Chinese educationist groups’ ignorance of the history of the Malay language.
He said the Jawi script had a part in the development of the national language.
“I want to hear what the Malay leaders in Pakatan Harapan have to say about this issue,” he told reporters today after opening the Sungai Besar Umno delegates meeting today.
“They have to stand up and defend it. Don’t be cowards, declare your stand like Umno has.”
Dong Zong and Jiao Zong will hold a meeting on Monday over plans to introduce khat, or Arabic calligraphy, in the Year 4 Bahasa Malaysia curriculum for vernacular schools next year.
According to mysinchew.com.my, the meeting will be held on Dong Jiao Zong’s office in Jalan Bukit, Kajang.
It will be attended by 10 Chinese and Indian education organisations.
Dong Zong and Jiao Zong assert that khat is not relevant.
They said their opposition to khat should not be misconstrued as a denial of the diversity of the country’s cultures and languages.
Zahid said Umno supported the Education Ministry move to revive Jawi which was a part of early Malay history.
“Early Malay history and literature were written using Jawi. The effort to reintroduce it should be applauded if the objective is to give the (Malay) language prominence in the education system.”
Education Minister Maszlee Malik said khat was not to Islamise vernacular schools.
He said the introduction of Jawi in school should not be viewed as cultural assimilation.
“I do not blame anyone who protests but some just like to criticise everything the government does,” he was quoted as saying by news portal Malaysiakini
He said khat would help schoolchildren to recognise the country’s heritage and identity.
“When we introduce this writing, we must make sure it is close to the students and not something foreign.
For example, if we look at the ringgit note, the Jawi script means Malaysia. What’s wrong if our students can read and understand that?” he was quoted as saying.
Khat will take up six of the 162 pages in the Bahasa Malaysia textbook.
The move has also met resistance from a group of 138 DAP office bearers, including 13 assemblymen, who want the DAP cabinet members to object to the plan to introduce khat in vernacular schools.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, the group said vernacular school pupils were already learning “three languages and three writing systems”.
They said adding khat into the mix would make it “three languages and four writing systems”.
However, the Education Ministry in a statement yesterday explained that the introduction of khat was to teach the art of beautiful writing and that the ministry was going ahead with it.
It stressed that khat was not an effort to introduce Arabic script and pupils would not be assessed on it in examinations. – August 3, 2019.
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Comments
Posted 6 years ago by SY L · Reply
Posted 6 years ago by SY L · Reply
of all things, khat ???
Posted 6 years ago by Lan Lan · Reply
With this Black shoe idiot around you don't need any enemy to destroy PH.
Posted 6 years ago by Chee yee ng · Reply
Posted 6 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply
Posted 6 years ago by Mokhzani Mohamad · Reply
Posted 6 years ago by . . · Reply
Posted 6 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply
But then, the real idiots are Pakatan H, aint it? They are the ones who allowed a simpleton to preside over that ministry
Posted 6 years ago by Rock Hensem · Reply
Posted 6 years ago by Alfie Yap · Reply
Posted 6 years ago by Mindy Singh · Reply