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MIC man slams calls to abolish vernacular schools

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Sivarraajh Chandran says such ‘half-baked’ views are nothing more than political rhetoric to gain ground support and for the speakers to be looked upon as ‘heroes’.

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Former Cameron Highlands MP Sivarraajh Chandran says a lot of Indian and Chinese graduates from vernacular schools speak Malay well. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:
Former Cameron Highlands MP Sivarraajh Chandran has slammed Bersatu Youth’s call to abolish vernacular schools in stages to strengthen the Malay language.

He said such “half-baked” views were nothing more than political rhetoric to gain ground support and to be looked upon as “heroes”.

“There are a lot of Indian and Chinese graduates from vernacular schools who speak Malay well,” the MIC branch chief for Taman Bukit Kuchai Baru said in a statement.

He said such calls would continue to widen the unity gap among the people.

Free Malaysia Today
Sivarraajh Chandran.

“I follow closely recent developments, especially Bersatu Youth’s comments that the Malay language can only be upheld as the national language if vernacular education is abolished.

“For me, such a view jeopardises national unity,” he said.

Two days ago, Bersatu Youth reiterated in a statement its stand that vernacular schools should be abolished in stages.

Sivarraajh said vernacular education was a colonial legacy system but its importance had been acknowledged through a series of discussions during the formation of the country.

He said the 1956 Razak Report talked about the national and vernacular education system, with Malay as the main medium of instruction while other languages were allowed as the medium of instruction in vernacular schools.

“It is irresponsible to use the vernacular education system as a punching bag to portray oneself as a national language fighter,” he said.

Recently, deputy national unity minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal clarified in the Dewan Rakyat that he wanted vernacular schools to strengthen the Malay language and was not seeking to abolish them.

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