Mastering Bahasa Malaysia a bigger priority than Jawi khat - Anwar

Ensuring that all Malaysians can master Bahasa Malaysia should be made a priority rather than debating "trivial issues" such as the teaching of Jawi or khat, according to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim (photo, above).

"We can't question the status of the Malay language. It is important to uphold its status as the national language.

"After that if we want to improve use if other languages, that is allowed. It is not a zero-sum game," Anwar told reporters in Shah Alam today.

"With that (focus on mastering BM) other smaller issues, like khat and Jawi, becomes trivial," said the Port Dickson MP after delivering a speech at the first Malaysian Professional Motivator Convention.

Anwar was quick to add he did not disagree with the Education Ministry's revised plan to introduce khat lessons for Year 4 vernacular school students.

"I didn't say I did not support it. For me, the priority is to strengthen mastery of the language.

"There is no compromise on that," he stressed.

Anwar further urged more Malays to step away from their comfort zone and be more open to learning other languages to bring about change.

Earlier in his speech, Anwar said he remains unapologetic for his views advocating the importance of English and Mandarin, on top of mastering the Malay language.

He said while the Malay language should form the core cultural identity of Malaysians, English and Mandarin are languages of the economy and other important fields.

The original plan was to introduce six pages of Jawi khat lessons to the Year 4 Bahasa Malaysia textbook, but the Education Ministry on August 8 slashed this to three pages and made it optional after pushback from the non-Malay community.

However, discontent persisted with critics complaining that the ministry was not clear on what "optional" meant and whether it would really be the case as the power to decide lies with teachers.

Following this, the Education Ministry, after consulting the cabinet, announced that the three-page Jawi khat lesson would only be taught in vernacular schools if they are endorsed by parent-teachers associations. - Mkini