Guan Eng: Science, mathematics in English an education issue not related to 3R
KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng today said that parents protesting the requirement of having at least one class in schools that would teach Science and Mathematics in English is not a race, religion, or royalty (3R) issue.
He said this was already a long-standing contention with many Malay parents also protesting against the requirement of at least one class that would learn Science and Mathematics in Malay, before SMJK Chung Ling board chairman Datuk Seri Koay Hean Eng voiced his opinion on the matter yesterday.
“This is not a matter of rejecting Bahasa Malaysia as the main language.
“He (Koay) only asked for Science and Mathematics to be taught in English as what was done (during) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration,” the DAP chairman said during a press conference here today.
Earlier today Malaysiakini reported Parti Pribumi Bersatu (Bersatu) information chief Razali Idris as saying that the actions of the parents were akin to challenging the Federal Constitution on the position of the Malay language.
Lim said that during Muhyiddin’s tenure, the government did not have such requirements and parents were free to choose the medium of instruction for the two subjects and now the parents merely are urging the government to implement the previous system.
In January, the Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (Page) also voiced their dissent by submitting a memorandum to 31 ministers asking for their support to expand the DLP to more schools.
In the memorandum, the 35 non-governmental groups demanded that the education minister reverse her previous directive for participating schools to include at least one non-DLP class, saying it was against the guidelines.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek responded in January that this directive would help to improve DLP students’ proficiency in both English and Bahasa Malaysia.
