THE High Court in George Town today ruled that Jawi is part of Bahasa Malaysia and therefore can be taught to pupils in Chinese and Tamil schools.

In dismissing Gerakan’s suit that Jawi script should not be taught in vernacular schools nationwide, High Court Judicial Commissioner Amarjit Serjit Singh said the case ought to be thrown out because Jawi is part of Bahasa Malaysia, the national language.

He said Jawi classes were not in conflict with the spirit of the National Language Act 1963/1967 and the provisions of the federal constitution.

In September, Gerakan filed a suit against the federal government to challenge its decision to implement the teaching of Jawi script in vernacular schools.

Tan Lee Kiat and Mak Kah Keong represented Gerakan, which filed the suit through party president Dominic Lau Hoe Chai, who named Education Minister Maszlee Malik, deputy Teo Nie Ching and the federal government as respondents.

Mak said through the application, Gerakan believed teaching Jawi in vernacular schools would give the perception that Islam was being propagated to students of other faiths, as taught in Islamic Studies classes.

“We have earlier submitted to the court that it is normal practice for Jawi to be taught during Islamic Studies classes in national-type schools.

“So, teaching Jawi in Chinese or Tamil schools would give the perception that Islam was being propagated in vernacular schools, which is not right,” he said today, adding the Gerakan central committee would meet to decide whether to appeal the decision.

Earlier, Amarjit also dismissed the argument by senior federal counsel Ahmad Hanir Hambali that Lau had no locus standi to sue the government because he is the president of a political party.

Amarjit dismissed the case but made no order as to costs. – Bernama, November 28, 2019.