The Kuala Lumpur High Court today set March 9 to decide on an intervention application in the case of two Malay-Muslim NGOs challenging the validity of vernacular schools in the country.
Counsel for the Association of Peninsular Malaysia Students (GPMS) and the Islamic Educational Development Council (Mappim), Aidil Khalid, said aside from the two matters, the judge would also hear the Attorney-General Chamber’s (AGC) application for the case to be postponed.
According to Aidil, the AGC is seeking a postponement to be able to focus on current cases.
On Dec 16, GPMS and Mappim filed a suit against the Education Ministry and the federal government over the existence of Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools. The groups are questioning if such schools contravene Article 152(1) of the Federal Constitution on the national language.
They had appointed Haniff Khatri Abdulla as their lead counsel. Haniff counts Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as among his former clients.
In a previous statement by law firm Messrs Amelda Fuad Abi & Aidil, who filed the writ of summons and statement of claim on behalf of the two organisations, it said the suit was in response to the Nov 11, 2019, decision by the Federal Court denying a lawyer’s application for leave to challenge the constitutionality of vernacular schools.
The suit is also seeking a court declaration that stipulations under the Education Act 1996 providing for the establishment of vernacular schools using Chinese and Tamil as main languages were invalid under the constitution.
Should the court rule in their favour, the two groups are seeking an order that the Education Ministry and government ensure schools abide by Article 152(1) within six months of the court decision.
Also present in court today was former education deputy minister P Kamalanathan. He informed that the MIC was an intervenor in the case and have appointed a lawyer.
Meanwhile, lawyer Savarasthy Kandasami, representing intervenor Tamizhar Sangam Association, said up to eight intervenors will be involved in the proceedings. - Mkini
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