Wan Azizah shows off nametag in jawi during meet with Dr M

IPOH, Jan 10 ― Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today posted a picture of her wearing a nametag written in jawi on her Twitter account.

Dr Wan Azizah said that the government is committed in defending unity and harmony in the country.

"Today morning I met Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad while wearing a nametag in jawi.

"The Pakatan Harapan (PH) government is committed in defending the unity and harmony for the sake of the beloved country," she posted on her Twitter.

Starting 2020, the Ministry of Education will introduce a three-page jawi syllabus into the Year Four Bahasa Malaysia textbook.

The move was heavily criticised by the Chinese educational group Dong Zong.

Pagi ini saya bertemu YAB Perdana Menteri Tun. Dr. Mahathir Mohamad sambil memakai tanda nama jawi. Kerajaan Pakatan Harapan bertekad untuk terus mempertahankan perpaduan dan keharmonian demi negara tercinta. pic.twitter.com/6UFtYlEduZ

— Dr Wan Azizah Ismail (@drwanazizah) January 10, 2020

On December 18, the group had announced that it would hold a mass gathering of Chinese organisations on December 28 to urge the government to cancel the teaching of the jawi script in the Bahasa Melayu subject in vernacular schools.

It was later clarified that the event, including Tamil education group representatives, would be an indoor consultative meeting, instead of a protest or stand-off between the Chinese and Malays.

But just a day before the December 28 gathering, Malay-Muslim groups announced that they would hold a rally outside New Era University College where Dong Zong’s conference would be held to stop the latter from proceeding.

On the same day, police obtained a court order for Dong Zong’s conference to be canceled, with the magistrate stating that this was necessary to prevent disturbance of public peace or riots.

Dong Zong complied with the court order, while the police also asked the public not to attend the planned counter-rallies.