Respect govt’s right to teach Jawi in Chinese, Tamil schools, says Mujahid

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mujahid Yusof Rawa speaking to reporters after launching the Seminar Akademik Antarabangsa in Kuala Lumpur today.

KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mujahid Yusof Rawa has called on all parties to respect the government’s right to teach Jawi in Chinese and Tamil schools following the High Court’s decision on the matter.

Speaking after an event here, Mujahid, who is in charge of Islamic affairs, said the courts have decided that the education ministry and the government have the right to teach Jawi in vernacular schools.

“So we respect the court’s decision. This is not a political decision,” he told reporters after launching the Seminar Akademik Antarabangsa at Sekolah Menengah Tsun Jin.

He declined to comment on calls by Chinese educationist groups Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees’ Association) and Jiao Zong (United Chinese School Teachers’ Association) for schools to be given the choice to decide if they wanted Jawi to be taught.

Dong Zong committee member Low Chee Chong was present at the programme.

On Thursday, the High Court ruled that Jawi was part of Bahasa Malaysia and is therefore okay to be taught to pupils in Chinese and Tamil schools.

In dismissing a challenge by Gerakan, High Court Judicial Commissioner Amarjit Serjit Singh said the case ought to be thrown out as Jawi is part of Bahasa Malaysia, the national language.

He said the implementation of Jawi classes was not against the spirit of the National Languages Act 1963/1967 and also the provisions under the Federal Constitution. - FMT