Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia 13 June, 2013.
Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia (GBM) is surprised and shocked over the call by 130 pro-UMNO NGOs, led by the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM) yesterday to abolish mother-tongue education as a new height of the post-GE13 blaming game. That the PPIM has adopted a racist stance instead of enhancing its Islamic and universal endeavours is most unfortunate and extremely disappointing.
These groups are calling upon the BN chairman, Najib Abdul Razak to renege on his promise to upgrade Chinese-medium higher education institutions since the Chinese voters “broke their promise” to support the BN.
GBM stresses that, the right to learn and practise one’s mother tongue is an inalienable right of Malaysians and is protected by the Federal Constitution. Linguistic diversity and multi-culturalism are celebrated and mutually respected by all religions and faiths. It has become part of our education system in terms of delivering social justice, moral, spiritual and ethical strength to create a Malaysian society that is united, democratic, liberal and dynamic (Education Act). It is the way forward for Malaysia to reinforce its position in tandem with international instruments, covenants and conventions
GBM urges all Malaysians to stand firm in rejecting cheap and unethical attempts by groups and politicians to question the mother tongue education system that has evolved over the years to provide Malaysia the uniqueness in linguistic and cultural diversity. Just last Saturday, BN vice chairman Muhyiddin Yassin reassured that he would take firm actions to protect all the institutions that had been established to look after the development, harmony, solidarity, security and peace in the country. (Malaysiakini, 8 June 2013)
It is disheartening that the process of reconciliation post-GE13 is continuously jeopardised by unscrupulous groups bent on tainting the colourful and multi-ethnic fabric of Malaysia society with their parochial call to abolish Chinese and Tamil school systems.
These groups need to truly appreciate the processes of democracy which embraces and operationalizes the will of the people through the elected government of the day. It is an irony that the government elected by the people, for the people, is now being coerced by certain irresponsible quarters to act against the will of the very people who elected them.
The government must admonish these racial sentiments, redress its shortcomings and move forward with a progressive national educational agenda. Despite the multiple issues in the nation’s educational system, GBM is optimistic that we can overcome them and benchmark ours against the best in the world. But acting against the aspirations of the people for linguistic diversity and mother tongue education is unequivocally self-defeating, retrogressive and morally wrong.
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Issued by the Executive Council of Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia
UMNO NGOs Cannot do this because it is against the Federal Constitution Article 152
Article 152 – National Language and Other Languages
Diagram of national and other languages
Article 152 states that the national language is the Malay language. In relation to other languages, the Constitution provides that:
(a) everyone is free to teach, learn or use any other languages, except for official purposes. Official purposes here means any purpose of the Government, whether Federal or State, and includes any purpose of a public authority.
(b) the Federal and State Governments are free to preserve or sustain the use and study of the language of any other community.
Article 152(2) created a transition period for the continued use of English for legislative proceedings and all other official purposes. For the States in Peninsular Malaysia, the period was ten years from Merdeka Day and thereafter until Parliament provided otherwise. Parliament subsequently enacted the National Language Acts 1963/67 which provided that the Malay language shall be used for all official purposes. The Acts specifically provide that all court proceedings and parliamentary and state assembly proceedings are to be conducted in Malay, but exceptions may be granted by the judge of the court, or the Speaker or President of the legislative assembly.
The Acts also provide that the official script for the Malay language is the Latin alphabet or Rumi; however, use of Jawi is not prohibited.
UMNO NGOs Cannot do this because it is against the Federal Constitution Article 152 (a) and (b)
Article 152 – National Language and Other Languages
Diagram of national and other languages
Article 152 states that the national language is the Malay language. In relation to other languages, the Constitution provides that:
(a) everyone is free to teach, learn or use any other languages, except for official purposes. Official purposes here means any purpose of the Government, whether Federal or State, and includes any purpose of a public authority.
(b) the Federal and State Governments are free to preserve or sustain the use and study of the language of any other community.