Teo, Khairy welcome court decision on lawyer’s challenge over vernacular schools

Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching and Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin.

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching has welcomed the Federal Court’s decision to dismiss an application for leave by a lawyer to challenge the existence of vernacular schools.

Speaking to reporters at the Parliament lobby, Teo hoped that Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz would end his bid to challenge the constitutionality of vernacular schools.

“As mentioned by many leaders, vernacular schools should become an important asset to the diversity of the country.

“I would like to congratulate the lawyer from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (senior federal counsel Alice Loke Yee Ching who represented the education ministry and the government). It shows the AGC can successfully defend the existence of vernacular schools in the Federal Court,” she said.

Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin, who had previously commented on the issue of vernacular schools, said he accepted the court’s decision.

“I feel the court is the best place to decide on matters involving the constitution. If the court has decided that the existence of vernacular schools is not illegal, then we have to accept it, because interpretations of the constitution can only be made by the court,” he said.

Khairul had sought a declaration that an amendment to the Education Act 1996, which allowed for the continued existence of vernacular schools, is unconstitutional.

Chief Judge of Malaya Azahar Mohamed, who sat as a single Federal Court judge, dismissed Khairul’s application for leave. He ruled that the apex court cannot exercise exclusive jurisdiction to hear the matter.

“Therefore, the court that is competent to hear the usual constitutional challenges to an Act of Parliament is the High Court,” he said in his judgment. - FMT