A DAP group comprising elected assemblymen and grassroots leaders want the Education Ministry to pull its plan to introduce khat script in the Bahasa Malaysia syllabus next year.

In a statement today, 14 assemblymen and grassroots leaders pressed the ministry to hit the brakes on the plan and discuss it further.

Yesterday, the ministry’s had said it would go ahead with the plans but will look into ways to simplify the teaching and learning process of the calligraphy art.

It added that khat was not an effort to introduce Arabic script and pupils would not be assessed on it in examinations.

The DAP group also questioned the ministry’s rush to introduce the script in the syllabus.

In disagreeing with the decision, they said the government should listen to the grouses of various quarters and withdraw plans to include such modules in Mandarin textbooks.

They said the ministry should first withdraw the decision and conduct a public consultation to gather the views of the public on whether the calligraphic art should be implemented as part of the Bahasa Malaysia subject.

“We believe that in the wake of disagreement from various quarters in society, the ministry should retract, discuss and then decide on whether to go ahead with the plan,” they said in the statement.

All views should be taken into account and the interest of all education streams, including vernacular education, should be protected, they said.

Among the state assemblymen who signed the joint statement are Chow Yu Hui (Tras), Chiong Yoke Kong (Tanah Rata), Chong Zhe Min (Keranji), Lee Chin Chen (Bilut), Tan Hong Pin (Skudai), Ee Chin Li (Tangkak), Cheo Yee How (Perling), Yeo Tung Siong (Pekan Nenas), Ng Yak Howe (Bentayan), Chew Peck Choo (Yong Peng), Cheah Pou Hian (Jelapang), Violet Yong (Pending),  Leong Yu Man (Triang) and Leong Cheok Keng (Malim Mawar).

Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik had said that implement khat studies was not to Islamise vernacular schools.

He said the introduction of khat in schools should not be viewed as cultural assimilation.

“I do not blame anyone who protests but some just like to criticise everything the government does,” Malaysiakini reported him as saying.

He said khat would help pupils understand the country’s heritage and identity.

“When we introduce this writing, we must make sure it is close to the pupils 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 reportedly said.

Khat will take up six of the 162 pages in the Bahasa Malaysia textbook. – August 3, 2019.