Lawyer files motion to challenge legality of vernacular schools

Updated 4 years ago · Published on 23 Oct 2019 9:40PM · 8 Comments

Parents campaign to prevent the teaching of Jawi to their children in the vernacular schools, in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, on August 23, 2019. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, October 23, 2019.

A LAWYER today filed a motion to the Federal Court for a judgement on the legality of vernacular, or national-type schools, Malaysiakini reports.

Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz said he was prompted to take action after the government announced that it had allocated RM127 million to the maintenance and upkeep to these schools in the year ahead.

“As taxpayers, we have the right to make sure the government spends money on the people in accordance with the constitution and law,” he said, at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya.

“If these institutions are not legal, then the people’s money should not be passed to the institutions.”

He denied his action was racist and that anyone who claimed otherwise was just trying to avoid the issue.

“This is not a racial issue, it is a legal issue. And this is purely a constitutional and legal issue.

“We have filed this action in court. We didn’t take it to the streets. We filed in the highest court of the country, in the Federal Court under Article 4 (4) of the federal constitution,” he said.

His lawyer Shaharudin Ali said the case was filed based on the premise that parliament did not have the authority to give the education minister discretionary powers over the establishment of Chinese (SJKC) and Tamil national-type schools (SJKT).

He said Clause 152 of the federal constitution did not authorise the education minister such powers.

“The essence of this application is to seek an order from the Federal Court as to whether parliament has the power to enact Section 28 and Section 17 of the Education Act 1996,” Shahruddin said.

Vernacular schools recently incurred the ire of the government when it rejected a proposal tor them to teach Jawi to its pupils.

The row ended with the Education Ministry giving the final say on the subject to the parent-teacher associations, a move many viewed to be the government conceding defeat. 

Malay nationalists were also unhappy over the schools’ rejection of Jawi, which was taken as rejection of Malay culture and identity. Some have questioned the government’s budgetary allocation of RM127 million to the schools next year.

Race relations have been further strained by the so-called Buy Muslim First campaign, which is believed to be a direct result of the Jawi row and the consequent Malay unhappiness with the country’s two other major ethnic communities  – the Chinese and the Indians. – October 23, 2019.

Sign up or sign in here to comment.

Comments

  • He wants to deprive Malay children of a good education they are getting in Chinese schools! There are more than 100,000 Malay children attending Chinese schools. Why did they abandon the Sekolah Kebangsaan?? The parents of these children obviously don't want their children to attend Sekolah Kebangsaan and become "katak dibawah tempurung". Do a proper study on this migration of Malay children from the SK to Chinese schools before wanting to close the schools that are giving better education to the Malay children
    than the SK's.

    Posted 4 years ago by Ravinder Singh · Reply

  • HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

    Posted 4 years ago by Simple Sulaiman · Reply

  • He is not just a lawyer but a leader of racist Putra also known as Perkasa

    Posted 4 years ago by S L · Reply

  • Black shoe minister first hv to remove all unqualified religous base teachers from Sek Keb in order to hv a positive teaching ethics in schools. Parents want REAL EDUCATION not Religion base education. Venecular Schools are Providing REAL EDUCATION which can give birth to GOOD POSITIVE MINDSET SOCEITY .

    Posted 4 years ago by Mindy Singh · Reply

  • Yup.
    Here we go again, another distraction... presumably to isolate and demonise you know who la ...
    And all these happens while the emperor fiddles at a burning rome ...

    Posted 4 years ago by Rock Hensem · Reply

  • The 2Rs are disrupting harmony again! Our road has no end.

    Posted 4 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • Govt Coffers are all Tax Payer Money paying salary to teachers who dont hv teaching Skills n are lazy to the core. Sek Keb are doomed by these grp of teachers . Passing Mark also set at a very low standard not digestable at all in the 21st century Venecular Schools are RESPECTED for the OUTPUT THAT THEY PROVIDE. Also most Greatness of Venecular Schools all Students are TREATED FAIRLY.

    Posted 4 years ago by Mindy Singh · Reply

  • Of all the ministries, MOE is of great importance and most relevant to the future of Malaysia. Yet, it is most plaqued with Racism and Religious bigotry. The 2Rs are bringing Malaysia down the drain. This is the sad state of Malaysia.

    Posted 4 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply