KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching today confirmed that Chinese and Tamil education groups have agreed to have khat taught in schools.
The Malaysian Insight reported that Dong Zong, Jiao Zong, Tamil Foundation and Gabungan Pertubuhan Cina Malaysia had a dialogue with Teo today and came to a consensus on the issue that’s drawn the ire of non-Bumiputeras.
“We have agreed that it is not a problem to introduce khat writing. The intention is to introduce the art of khat calligraphy and not to learn jawi.
“We also agree that while introducing khat writing, the students will not be tested. This is the stand of the NGOs, and the ministry agrees,” Teo was quoted saying by the online news portal after the meeting held at the Education Ministry in Putrajaya.
Chinese vernacular education group Dong Jiao Zong had said several days ago that it will hold a closed-door meeting involving various multi-racial organisations to discuss the implementation of khat calligraphy in the Bahasa Melayu syllabus in Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools.
The meeting was aimed at dissecting and analysing the initiative by the Education Ministry in terms of educational pedagogue, effectiveness of the education method and pragmatic reality that jawi-based khat has on increasing the mastery of Bahasa Melayu.
The groups had stressed that they were not against efforts by the ministry to conduct cross-cultural interaction between various races and promote good values and cultural integration
However, after initially opposing the move to introduce khat in Year Four classes, they have now agreed to adopt it.
“I think we have cleared the (air) today; we have consensus. There is no doubt,” Teo said.
She said the dialogue was “meaningful” and that all present had agreed that the ministry should continue to engage the vernacular groups on the Standard Curriculum and Assessment Document for Bahasa Melayu.
