PUTRAJAYA – The Court of Appeal’s decision today that vernacular schools are constitutional should put a stop to future attempts to dispute their existence, Deputy Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister K. Saraswathy said.
Speaking to reporters outside the court here with Tamil and Chinese vernacular education groups, she hailed the appellate court’s decision as historic and an affirmation that mother-tongue language schools have legitimately existed since the country’s independence.
She also hoped that other education-based groups, such as those which filed the case to challenge the constitutionality of these schools, would not appeal against today’s ruling.
“Constitutional rights should not be disputed and questioned by any parties, as it will not benefit the country.
“Therefore, (as a government representative), I welcome this decision. It is a victory to the Education Ministry as well,” said Saraswathy.
The deputy minister was at the court today to lend support to vernacular education groups Dong Zong and Jiao Zong, Persatuan Thamizar Malaysia and Persatuan Tamilar Thirunal (Perak), which were among the co-defendants in the suit.
The groups that filed the challenge against vernacular schools in 2019 are the Islamic Education Development Council, Confederation of Malaysian Writers Association, Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia and Ikatan Guru-Guru Muslim Malaysia.
The decision today upholds the high court’s ruling on the same in December 2021.
Also at today’s proceedings was MCA secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon, who said he hoped the verdict would clear misconceptions that vernacular schools promote racial divisions among Malaysians.
“This decision is clear and we hope this can clear the air, so there are no (more) sentiments about the existence of multi-stream education.
“This will not polarise (society) as claimed.
“Malaysians should move on and not play with racial sentiments as there are no issues among us in the first place,” Chong said.
The Court of Appeal in the broad grounds of its judgment stated, among others, that national-type schools are not defined as public authorities, and are therefore not bound by Article 152 of the federal constitution on the use of Malay as the national language. – November 23, 2023