KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — Education conducted mainly in any language other than Bahasa Malaysia is against the Federal Constitution, the Malay Consultative Council claimed today.

In a draft of resolutions made at the end of their national education congress earlier today, the council criticised vernacular schools and private universities and colleges for disregarding Article 152 of the Constitution, which requires all official government matters to be conducted in the national language.

The council also slammed the government for allowing itself to be held ransom by parties that are opposed to adopting Bahasa Malaysia as the main language in their schools, as the long-standing issue of multiple education systems will only eat away at national unity and the integrity of the federal constitution.

“We must be firm and uphold the law and the federal constitution, especially Article 152 and the Education Act 1996 (Act 550) in administering the nation’s education,” the council said in its draft of resolutions.
But proponents of vernacular education previously pointed to Article 152(a) to defend the existence of such schools, noting that it states citizens were free to use any language other than Bahasa Malaysia for education.

In an event attended by some 1,800 delegates today, the MPM discussed points in the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025 in five plenary sessions led by Malay academics and captains of industry.

Aside from the use of Bahasa Malaysia in all schools and higher learning institutes, the congress resolved to support the government's efforts to bolster national schools through a single curriculum and examination system using Bahasa Malaysia, while giving students the opportunity to learn other languages.

The congress also took a swipe at the United Chinese School Committees Association, better known as Dong Zong, accusing them of being "anti-national" in opposing the government's plan to increase teaching time for Bahasa Malaysia in Chinese schools starting next year.

At a later press conference, MPM secretary-general Dr Hasan Mad, said they failed to see why the government was so accommodative towards the association, alleging that Chinese schools had gone so far as to include false facts in their textbooks.

Hasan added that Dong Zong has been capitalising on confusion over the deal struck prior to independence to accept the continued existence of 60 Chinese schools as a compromise between the government and the Chinese community.

"When we accepted the 60 schools, it was on the condition that they would not open any more... but even if they understand the compromise, they are still demanding (for more from the government)," he said, referring to Dong Zong.

But Hasan stopped short of demanding that the government close down vernacular schools that were not part of the deal, saying that it would instead be better to improve the standards of national schools to be on par with the best schools in the world.

"It is a matter of how the government fulfills the aspirations of students who want to go to the best school.

"Let's say the standards of national schools are greatly improved... when they become the schools of choice, vernacular schools will eventually have to close because parents will no longer send their children there," he said.

Hasan noted that the council is now working on finalising the resolutions, which will be presented to deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at his office in Putrajaya this Thursday.