TWO leading Chinese education groups want the government to confine the teaching and learning of khat calligraphy and Jawi writing to Islamic Education subject instead of including it in Bahasa Melayu.

The United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) and the United Chinese School Teachers’ Association of Malaysia (Jiao Zong) urged Putrajaya to consider views against the introduction of khat to Year 4 pupils in vernacular schools, saying that they were not the only ones against it.

They also expressed regret over Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s labelling of Dong Zong as “racist” yesterday.

“The Curriculum and Assessment Standard Document (DSKP) for Islamic Education Years 1 to 6 in the Primary School Curriculum Standard (KSSR) has decided on the teaching and learning of Jawi writing and khat calligraphy.

“Therefore, the government should retain the teaching and learning of Jawi writing and khat in the Islamic Education subject instead of including it in Bahasa Melayu,” both groups said in a statement today.

Responding to Dr Mahathir’s “racist” label, Dong Zong and Jiao Zong said they were not the only ones against the teaching of khat in vernacular schools.

“This view is shared by non-Muslim communities in the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak. Furthermore, not all Malays also agree with it. 

“As an example, Rafidah Aziz has stated that khat should be taught as an elective subject.”

They said their stand had always been to promote education in their mother tongue and to promote the nation’s cultural diversity.

“We are aware of the reality of diversity in our country, and we have encouraged understanding, respect and inclusion in the cultural differences between races, and reject any action that demean others.”

Dong Zong said it had established a multiracial and cultural development committee to facilitate interaction and activities between students from Chinese vernacular schools with those from other schools.

The groups also said there was basis to its claims that the teaching of khat was part of propagating Islam.

“This motivation has been clearly expressed by, among others, the president of the Islamic Propagation Foundation of Malaysia (Yadim), Nik Omar Nik Abdul Aziz, who had said the government’s effort to introduce Jawi writing and khat was to ‘increase the understanding of Jawi and the Arabic language so that it would be easier for them to study the Quran and understand its practices’.” 

They also cited the writing of Dr Mohd Bakhir Hj Abdullah, in his book , “Sumbangan Kaligrafi Arab dalam Kesenian Islam: Suatu Kajian Sejarah” (The Contribution of Arabic Calligraphy in the Islamic Art: A Historical Study) which they said clearly showed the religious motivations of teaching khat.

“The non-Muslim communities understand the Muslim community’s love for Jawi writing and khat.

“We support the noble intentions of Yadim and others to further promote Jawi calligraphy among Muslim children and to encourage the teaching of khat be taught in Islamic education.

“(But) if the learning of khat is to be made compulsory with the aim of propagating, then this does not conform to the principles of the Quran which teaches that there is no compulsion in Islam.”

Dong Zong and Jiao Zong said they were fully committed to support Bahasa Melayu as the national language with Romanised characters.

They said they were prepared to explain their position to the prime minister and also urged Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik to form a consultative body in his ministry so that controversies such as khat could be avoided in the future. – August 13, 2019.