Dong Zong has never opposed Jawi, says rep

Dong Zong representative Ng Chai Heng (second from left) listening to Ikram deputy president Badlishah Sham speak at the forum.

KUALA LUMPUR: A Dong Zong representative has denied that the Chinese educationist group had opposed the introduction of Jawi in vernacular schools.

“Did we say Dong Zong opposed Jawi? No, we did not. We said, ‘Please wait’.

“We asked for a postponement (after the decision was announced),” Dong Zong representative Ng Chai Heng said during a forum called “Jawi Forum: Mutual Understanding”, organised by Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia (GBM).

Ng added that the group accepted a similar topic in the Year Five syllabus, teaching Jawi, Mandarin calligraphy and Tamil script.

“It was introduced in the multiracial context, to introduce Jawi Arts (Seni Jawi), not Jawi or khat.

“Have you heard Dong Zong or the Tamil Foundation object to it? No, because this was done in good faith, in a multiracial context.”

Ng added that the group faced challenges from the community that supports vernacular schools, pointing to a general fear of Islamisation among parents.

Ng attributed this to the subject’s initial name “khat”, which was clearly defined as a representation of Islamic Arts, even in school history textbooks.

“We cannot blame them. It is our responsibility to make it clear to the public.”

He also noted general hearsay that non-Muslim children were being converted in national schools.

Ng added that there was also a fear of needing to learn an extra script. “They are already learning three languages, with the most difficult script being Mandarin,” he added.

Ng said the Jawi controversy was being blown out of proportion mainly due to poor communication.

He said, however, that the education ministry had done a good job at accommodating the concerns of the public thus far, making five changes to the original Cabinet decision.

“If there are no problems, then they won’t be making those changes. They have good faith and a good heart to change. They came so close, yet so far.”

Ng noted that one element the ministry overlooked was the role of the school management board or Lembaga Pengurus Sekolah (LPS).

He said, the education ministry had now decided that the LPS would be the one making the final call to introduce Jawi in any vernacular school, if the school does not have a parent-teacher association (PIBG).

He said the LPS should be made an interested party in the decision-making process, on top of the PIBG.

Under the Education Act, the LPS was a body set up as an instrument of management in vernacular schools. It is said to play an important role in determining the direction of the schools.

Currently, schools in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan have an LPS, with no PIBG.

The government announced that Jawi will be taught to Year Four students in schools beginning next year. However, the subject will be made optional for vernacular schools, with prior approval from the PIBG.

Ng also said Dong Zong’s Dec 28 congress was just a closed-door meeting with those invited to discuss the Jawi issue and not a congress as reported.

Other speakers at today’s forum included deputy director-general of education Habibah Abdul Rahi, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim) president Faisal Aziz, Ikram deputy president Badlishah Sham, and Tamil Foundation president K Arumugam. - FMT