'No race in forms possible, if no vernacular schools'

Umno-owned newspaper Utusan Malaysia said it is prepared to back the abolition of the "race" column in government forms if vernacular schools are done away with.

In a editorial piece by Awang Selamat, a pseudonym used by the newspaper to express its editorial stance, it said the creation of 'Bangsa Malaysia' (Malaysian race) was not only dependent on doing away "race" in forms but also a single stream education system.

"Awang is prepared to take drastic steps to change stance in support (of doing away with race in forms). It is only right that we come under one 'Bangsa Malaysia'.

"But there is a condition - resolve the core issue that is more pressing which is the execution of a single stream school system that is not based on race," it said in Mingguan Malaysia, the weekend edition ofUtusan Malaysia.

Otherwise, the newspaper said the issue about ridding of "race" in forms should not be raised again.

The issue was highlighted after Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Joseph Entulu Belaun said "race" in forms would eventually be done away with

Joseph was immediately reprimanded by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who denied there was any cabinet decision to that end and said his minister had made a "mistake".