YOURSAY | Judge’s ruling will not end attacks on vernacular schools

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Dr Raman Letchumanan: While we welcome the judgment by High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, who ruled that vernacular schools are constitutional, we should note that this matter should not have gone to court in the first place.

The Constitution is very clear on this provision, one of the few 'privileges' accorded to non-Malays such as vernacular schools, freedom of religion and worship, etc. Yet, each one of these gets challenged by the racist and religious bigots almost every other day.

Imagine if a non-Malay had challenged Article 153 or even asked for fairness in its implementation. Hundreds of police reports would have been made, and the person would be slapped with multiple charges, including sedition.

But this case goes all the way to court, and luckily an upright judge ruled in accordance with the Constitution. The case should have been struck off in the first place.

Even more alarming are the educated plaintiff and their learned lawyers, people we expect are liberal, tolerant and democratic. Many would have been western-educated in western languages.

To me, such people are the ones agitating for these kinds of divisive issues, not the ordinary Malays. The fact many Malays are registering their children in vernacular schools is because they want a better education for their children.

They cannot afford to send their children overseas, like these elite troublemakers who clamour to close down vernacular schools but send their children to international schools or overseas.

Anyway, the case is not over yet. There will be appeals to the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court, where decisions can be made by a simple majority. I wonder what punitive costs were made by this judge to stop such frivolous suits.

As the judge said, we are fortunate the Constitution is clear. He cautioned he would not interfere on matters of the legislature like national unity, national identity, etc. This is an ominous warning.

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Kota Bharu High Court rules vernacular schools are constitutional

PETALING JAYA: The High Court in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, has ruled that the existence of vernacular schools is constitutional.

Lawyer T Gunaseelan said judge Roslan Abu Bakar yesterday held that the existence of vernacular schools must be read in the historical context.

“The intention of the framers of the Federal Constitution was to preserve that as part of the education system. The wishes of our forefathers were that we live in harmony,” Roslan said in dismissing a suit brought by the Muslim teachers group, Ikatan Guru-Guru Muslim Malaysia.

The president of the association, Azizee Hasan, had filed the suit on its behalf last year, challenging the constitutionality of Sections 17 and 28 of the Education Act.

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