THE government must instruct the attorney-general to fight legal suits filed by two Malay pressure groups challenging the constitutionality of vernacular schools, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said today.
He said the party would raise the matter at tomorrow’s cabinet meeting as such suits were a “dangerous development” could threaten national unity and harmony.
“DAP will defend vigorously the constitutional right of Chinese and Tamil schools to exist, by bringing up in the final cabinet meeting tomorrow that the government must instruct the attorney-general to mount a muscular opposition to this legal suit,” Lim said in a statement today.
The party will also apply to be an intervener in the suits on behalf of vernacular schools, and has instructed DAP legal bureau chairman and Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh to provide legal representation.
Yesterday, Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung (GPMB) and Majlis Pembangunan Pendidikan Islam Malaysia (Mappim) filed suit with the Kuala Lumpur High Court seeking a decision on whether Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools are constitutional as the schools do not use Bahasa Melayu as the main medium of instruction.
Their suit is based on Article 152(1) of the federal constitution which stipulates Bahasa Melayu as the national language.
They have named the Education Ministry and Government of Malaysia as first and second defendants.
Haniff Khatri Abdulla is the both the plaintiffs’ lead counsel.
Lim today said DAP viewed the suits with grave concern as the existence of Chinese and Tamil schools had never been questioned in the 62 years since independence in 1957. These schools had also received public funds without any problems.
“DAP views this as a dangerous development that do not only threaten the existence of Tamil and Chinese schools, but also jeopardise the national unity and harmony of our multi-racial society,” he said.
Today, a third suit to challenge the constitutionality of vernacular schools was filed at the high court by lawyer Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz, Free Malaysia Today reports.
It is Khairul’s second attempt to sue Putrajaya on the matter, after the Federal Court dismissed his application to obtain leave to mount the challenge last month.
The apex court had ruled on a technicality, that Khairul’s suit should have been filed with the high court first and not the federal court.
Khairul is represented by lawyer Shaharudin Ali.
THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
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