SERI KEMBANGAN: Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has confirmed that the Cabinet discussed reintroducing the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI).
However, he said, no decision was reached and the education ministry had been asked to study the matter.
“No decision was made, just general discussions to put the different views across,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the home ministry’s Hari Raya celebrations here today.
“The previous administration decided not to continue with it. So, to me, this is important and there is no need for us to rush into a decision.”
Muhyiddin, who was education minister when the PPSMI was scrapped in 2011, said it was important to improve the mastery of English among Malaysians.
Earlier today, Utusan Malaysia reported that teachers and Malay advocacy groups were up in arms over the government’s plan to bring back PPSMI, a pet policy of Dr Mahathir Mohamad to improve students’ command of English.
Mahathir had introduced it during his first stint as PM but it was dropped following strong protests against it.
There has been intense speculation that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government is bent on reintroducing PPSMI, especially as its staunchest proponent is none other than the prime minister.
On another matter, Muhyiddin said neither his ministry nor the foreign affairs ministry had received any official request from India for the extradition of Indian Muslim preacher Dr Zakir Naik.
This comes amid reports that a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mumbai, India, yesterday ordered Naik to physically appear before it on July 31.
“As long as we do not receive (an official request), we will not take action or make a decision.”
Naik is facing charges of inciting communal disharmony and committing unlawful activities in India.
Recently, Mahathir said Malaysia has the right not to extradite Naik as the preacher believes he would not be accorded justice in India. - FMT
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