Lim Guan Eng
KUCHING: DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has urged Malaysians to move on now that the government has decided that the teaching of khat or Jawi calligraphy in vernacular primary schools is optional, a news report said.
“This decision… will not please everyone, including those from the non-Malay community, who requested that the implementation of introducing khat or Jawi illustrations be deferred pending consultation with all the stakeholders in Chinese and Tamil primary schools.
“However, the cabinet decision yesterday that it is not compulsory but optional and not to be tested in exams would hopefully allow Malaysians to move forward,” he said in a statement as reported by MalaysiaKini this evening.
The finance minister explained that the unhappiness was over the perception that the Education Ministry had acted unilaterally without prior consultation with the relevant stakeholders.
“This has led to general suspicion and a trust deficit from the stakeholders in Chinese and Tamil primary schools that there is a hidden agenda by the Education Ministry,” he said.
Earlier today, Education Minister Maszlee Malik announced that the Cabinet had unanimously agreed with the introduction of khat in the Bahasa Malaysia syllabus for Year 4 pupils in vernacular schools next year.
However, he pointed out that the number of pages on khat in the textbook have been reduced from six to three.
He added: “The Cabinet also decided that the introduction of khat will be made optional, with teachers having the power to decide on their own methods of implementation.”
The government’s decision to introduce khat in vernacular schools was met with criticism from Tamil and Chinese education groups.