A CONTROVERSY is now raging over the proposed introduction of khat, which is supposedly religion-neutral, to primary four pupils where race and religion are often mixed and exploited by certain quarters to the extent of giving rise to unsavoury consequences.
Even if the khat, or Arabic calligraphy, is proposed with the most noble of intentions, which supposedly aims to help the pupils to appreciate the art form as well as moral values, its hurried introduction has already created suspicion and anxiety particularly among non-Muslims.
It is possible that this issue might even alienate Pakatan Harapan from the non-Malay constituencies at the next general election.
This is because it is introduced in a social context where Islamisation is perceived, rightly or wrongly especially by non-Muslims, to have crept into national schools in the last few decades.
The khat poser is seen as yet another attempt to Islamise vernacular schools by reaching out to non-Muslim children.
It does not help either when Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik himself is depicted, rightly or otherwise, by his detractors as a keen advocate of Islamisation.
Furthermore, the khat introduction is made on the back of the government’s refusal so far to recognise officially the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) that Chinese educationists in particular, and Chinese community in general, have been clamouring for.
To be sure, recognising the UEC is part of the PH electoral manifesto in the last elections. It is also a move fervently pushed by Chinese-dominated DAP, a component party of PH.
In other words, the trustworthiness of the present government is found wanting in the eyes of the affected non-Malays, particularly as regard the khat and UEC.
At the same time, certain Malay-Muslim groups and the opposition Umno-PAS have urged the federal government to stand its ground on inclusion of khat into the syllabus.
A failure to do so would be deemed as the PH government’s, particularly Malay-based Bersatu’s, dismal inability to protect and promote Malay-Muslim culture and identity.
In short, the PH government has found itself caught between a rock and a hard place, which obviously isn’t comforting in its attempt to try to appease the two opposing blocs. Lo and behold, zero-sum game is at play here.
Politics aside, the inclusion of the khat section within mere six pages of the Bahasa Melayu textbook itself brings into question the aim of this controversial change.
For example, can this brief introduction to khat be effective enough to make the pupils appreciate the art form at such an early age? Or, would it just be a mere fleeting fancy for the children?
Can they really learn moral values by writing and using the following words in their Malay equivalent, “helpful, gift, caring, biological mother and good-hearted”, in Jawi?
Wouldn’t moral values be effectively instilled in a form that is familiar to the kids, namely the Romanised Bahasa Melayu, and the inclusion of other important values as well?
If the rationale behind introducing the khat is to expose pupils to the Arabic calligraphy, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to place it in, say a separate booklet on Malaysia’s ethnic cultures, which showcases all forms of calligraphy that are found in our society, including Chinese, Indian, other ethnic and, if any, aboriginal ones?
By doing so, each of the calligraphic forms is provided its proper social context while, at the same time, the children are given the needed recognition that these diverse art forms are part and parcel of being Malaysian, and they should celebrate this rich diverse heritage.
The aim here is clearly not to dilute the political and cultural identity of people from each of the ethnic groups in the country. It is to give priority to connectedness between ethnic groups in the wider context of forging national unity and mutual respect.
Neither does this approach necessarily denigrate the position of Bahasa Melayu as the national language. On the contrary, its status is enhanced when used to help pupils to access knowledge about their country’s heritage, one of which is the khat and Jawi script.
It is hoped that this strategy would help build a vital sense of belonging among the kids and their parents as well, and not develop fear of cultural marginalisation and political exclusion.
Equally, if not more, important is the need for the Education Ministry to clearly state its overall objective of having educational reform and academic changes, such as the khat, in the larger context of national unity and progress. – August 6, 2019.
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