Jawi is a national treasure, says Anwar

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim said Jawi is a national treasure and learning the script shouldn't be an issue.

He said some quarters have acted too much in opposing Jawi to the extent that their comments have affected the feelings of the Malays.

"Regarding Jawi, I don't want to raise the temperature. I have made a statement - it's a national treasure.

"Sometimes, people who oppose (Jawi) are a bit too much, affecting (menyentuh) the feeling of the Malays as if Jawi is ancient. Sanskrit is also ancient but people are still learning it. Same goes to Latin.

"What was introduced did not even cover a whole chapter, only two to three pages, just enough as an introduction (untuk sekadar kenal). I don't think it's an issue," he told the media in a press conference at Serdang.

Anwar stressed that it's okay for anyone to give their views on the matter but not to the point of raising the temperature on the issue.

"For the sake of commenting, whether to agree or otherwise, it's okay. But it's unnecessary to heat up (the issue)," he said.

The introduction of Jawi into the school syllabus of vernacular schools has been a controversial issue.

It has met resistance and criticism from Chinese educationist group Dong Jiao Zong, who had initially planned a congress to protest against it. 

The congress was later cancelled after a court issued a ban. 

The Jawi issue has also received support from various parties such as the Malaysian Muslim Students Coalition (Gamis) who had held a rally defending the teaching of the Jawi script on the first day of the new year. - Mkini