Ng showing the curriculum for Primary 4 Bahasa Melayu.
KUCHING: Sarawak Association For Peoples’ Aspiration (Sapa) president Dominique Ng filed a judicial review application in the High Court here yesterday, against the implementation of khat in primary schools.
Judicial Commissioner Alexander Siew who heard the application set October 7 for the trial.
It also allowed Ng (defendant) to examine the arguments submitted by the respondents.
The respondents were the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) and the Government of Malaysia (Malaysian Attorney General’s Chambers) represented by Jessica Lee.
Apart from Sapa, Korlous Longer, 35, a father of a Primary 4 pupil was also against the khat calligraphy to be included in the primary school curriculum.
Korlous was also represented by Ng in this case.
Previously, the MOE decided to include khat in the Bahasa Melayu subject in Primary Four for Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) and Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT).
On that, Ng explained that SKJC and SKJT are given the opportunity whether to include the khat calligraphy in the school curriculum or not.
“If less than 50 per cent of parents agree with the implementation in SKJC and SKJT, then it will not be taught.
“However, it is different from Sekolah Kebangsaan, which requires its implementation through Bahasa Malaysia subject, which is compulsory,” he said when met by reporters in court.
He added that on his side they would not have any problem if the art was introduced as an elective subject (optional) for students, including non-Muslim students.
“However, MOE has included this khat art in Bahasa Melayu subject, which is a compulsory subject and takes up three pages in the textbook.
“In this regard, I think this matter has basically violated the freedom of education guaranteed under Article 12 of the Federal Constitution and in turn affects the rights of students, especially in matters of education,” he said.
According to Ng also, he filed this application on behalf of Sapa as a body that fights for human rights and also on behalf of the father of the pupil affected by the implementation of khat calligraphy in primary schools.
He said it was also part of a national campaign under the S.E.K.A.T (Seni Khat Action Team) Coalition, which had held several press conferences on this issue.
Also present to give support in court were representatives from the Bidayuh Indigenous Association, Alim Mideh and Midi Johnek.