Maszlee’s stand on medium of instruction was right – Chong
KUCHING: Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Chong Chieng Jen yesterday defended Minister of Education Dr Maszlee Malik over his comment that using English as the medium of instruction would be illegal as it contravenes the Federal Constitution.
Chong said Maszlee was referring to the government policy on national schools and not other type of school.
He said Maszlee was responding to a query by Batang Sadong MP Dato Sri Nancy Shukri when she said in parliament that Sarawak should be allowed to use English as medium of instruction in schools.
Chong who is also Stampin MP said of all the people Nancy being former law minister should have known that national schools’ medium of instruction is the national language – Bahasa Malaysia.
Chong accused Nancy of trying to trap Maszlee.
The law is not against private schools or vernacular schools to choose any language for medium of instruction, he said.
Therefore Mazslee was right to say that the Ministry is against the use of English as the medium of instruction in national schools, said Chong who is also Sarawak DAP chairman.
Maszlee said in a written reply in parliament to Nancy’s query, “This is because it violates Article 152(1) of the Federal Constitution and the National Language Act 1963/67, the ministry said, and contravenes the letter and spirit of the Education Act 1996.
“Therefore, to preserve and honour the supremacy of the constitution and the law, the ministry does not suggest that English be used as the medium of instruction in schools, including schools in Sarawak.”