Jawi Violates Article 152 Of The Malaysian Constitution, Says Kit Siang

Education Ministry’s regulation that Jawi is a compulsory subject violates Article 152 of the Malaysian Constitution

Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and Mp for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, at the Selangor State DAP Committee meeting on Friday, 1.6.1984 at 8 pm

On 26th Feb.1984, when opening the Penang DAP State Seminar on Malaysian Culture, I stated for the first time that there was proposal, in conformity with the ‘One Language, One Culture’ policy proclaimed after the Barisan Nasional’s April 1982 general elections victory, to make Jawi a compulsory subject for all pupils, including Chinese and Tamil primary schools.

Although the Deputy Education Minister, Dr. Tan Tiong Hong, vehemently denied at that time that there was any such plan, it is now clear that either Dr. Tan did not know what he was talking about or he was taking part in a deliberate plan mislead the parents, pupils and the public.

The compulsory teaching of Jawi to school pupils was officially admitted for the first time in the Actionline of New Straits Times May 31, 1984, in response to an irate parent’s query to know whether it was compulsory for non- Malays to learn Jawi, as his nephew at a primary school in Jalan Peel, Kuala Lumpur was made to write 100 lines in Jawi because his earlier Jawi writing was unsatisfactory.

In response to this letter, the Federal Territory Deputy Director of Education, Haji Zainal Bahaudin said Jawi now compulsory for all pupils. He said:

“Everybody must learn Jawi as it is now taught as part or Bahasa Malaysia in the primary school syllabus.

“Previously Jawi was taught during religious classes and as such only Malay pupils were taught.

“Parent should be clear that Jawi is now regarded as part of the academic subject and since Bahasa Malaysia is a compulsory subject, pupils – regardless of race – must study it.”

The DAP is opposed to the introduction of Jawi as a compulsory subject for the primary schools, for it is clearly against the Constitutional provision in Article 152 which provided for the national language to be Rumi script of Bahasa Malaysia. The Jawi script therefore is not part of the national language, or official language.

If education officials can by administrative decisions amend the meaning of the national language to include the Jawi script, then they have superseded even Parliament itself which is the sole authority to amend the Constitution. No wonder a Deputy Minister like Dr. Tan is treated like small boy by his Ministry officials, who think they are even more powerful than Parliament!

The DAP is also very concerned at the dangerous precedent that is being set to make Jawi a compulsory subject, by making it part of Bahasa Malaysia. If this is not challenged, then in future, some overzealous education officials would suggest that Islamic civilisation should also be taught as part of Bahasa Malaysia!

The DAP is not opposed to the teaching and learning of Jawi, but cannot agree to its introduction as a compulsory subjects, like raising the standard of English or mother-tongue proficiency for non-Malay students.

Those Tung Chiau Chung officials who joined the Gerakan in the April 1982 general elections on the platform of ‘Assault BN to rectify BN’ should also let the public know whether this is one of their many bitter fruits of ‘rectification’! Another such bitter fruits is the announcement by the Gerakan Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Posts, Telecoms, Au Howe Cheong, that government departments would not accept cheques written in chinese.

From MalaysiaToday

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Learning Jawi didn’t make me less Chinese but more Malaysian, says Kit Siang

Published 2 days ago on 04 August 2019

BY SYED JAYMAL ZAHIID

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang today said he learnt to read the Jawi script when he was detained under the Internal Security Act and that it did not make him a traitor to the Chinese race, amid some public unease over teaching khat in vernacular schools.

Instead, the veteran lawmaker said it made him feel more Malaysian

“May be another question that should be asked is whether a person who learns Jawi is betraying the Chinese race, language and culture,” the Iskandar Puteri MP said in a statement.

“To me, the answer is in the negative.

“When I was first detained under the Internal Security Act in 1969, I taught myself Jawi in detention. It did not make me any less of a Chinese, and may have helped in making me more of a Malaysian,” he added.

Lim’s assertion came as a response to yet another racially-charged controversy that followed the government’s move to introduce the Arabic calligraphy as part of its national language curriculum.

The move supposedly drew opposition from Chinese education group Dong Jiao Zhong. Malay and Chinese newspapers Utusan Malaysia and Sin Chew Daily respectively reported last Friday that the organisation had planned a protest, which it immediately denied.

In a statement yesterday, Dong Jiao Zong said it had only called for a closed-door meeting with other “multiracial” groups to discuss the matter.

However, the organisation admitted that it wanted a transparent discussion on the policy, suggesting there were suspicion among stakeholders that include education groups and the community.

Lim, who is currently in India for a work visit, said the country has long struggled to overcome the deep mistrust the different races have for each other, and that it was a major hindrance to integration.

But while he personally supported integration, Lim said there is a third alternative of nation-building: one that requires no assimilation or integration but where different communities live side by side but separately under the same political system.

“I have always advocated integration — not assimilation nor a nation building which is neither assimilation nor integration, but merely to let the separate communities to live by side although under the same political system,” he said.

Lim that said his lifelong political struggle has always been to break racial barriers and act as a bridge for Malaysia’s diverse communities.

“The Malaysia I want to see is one where the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans and Ibans come out of their own universes to interact with other communities,” the statement read.

“To learn, appreciate and accept that Malaysia is not to be identified with any one community but with all the different communities who have made the land their mother country.”

This, he added, means a Chinese has not betrayed race and culture for his exquisite Jawi skill, a Malay has not betrayed race and culture because of his Bharatanatyam repertoire, or an Indian betrayed race and culture because of his mastery of Chinese calligraphy.

Lim’s party DAP is scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss the issue, according to news portal Malaysiakini, suggesting not all within the party are receptive to having Jawi in the curriculum for vernacular schools.

Detractors on the other hand have accused those who oppose the policy as racist and chauvinistic.

Some felt it was a misplaced priority, saying it would be better to focus on improving the quality of education in public schools.

The Education Ministry, however, said khat would not be compulsory, and that its introduction was only meant to foster cultural appreciation at an early stage.

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TODAY DAP BARKING LIKE A PARIAH DOG BECAUSE OF CABINET POSITION.