Students who began studying Mathematics and Science in English could continue to do so until they finished their secondary school education, said Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

NONE Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said that the issue was also raised by his Cabinet colleagues and he would like to allay the concerns expressed by parents.

"We discussed the matter," he was quoted by Bernama as telling told Malaysian journalists covering his five-day working visit to Perth which ended today.

Muhyiddin said that students who had started learning the two subjects in English would continue to be taught in English, and have the option and freedom of answering examination questions in either Bahasa Malaysia or English.

"They (the parents) should not be unduly worried," he said. "I want to allay the concern of parents. We are adopting a soft landing approach...giving a chance to move slowly into the new system," he said.

Recently, the government had announced changes to the PPSMI policy where the teaching of Mathematics and Science would be reverted to Bahasa Malaysia in national schools, and Chinese and Tamil in vernacular schools from 2012.

Barred PTA meet: 'I am sorry'

The PPSMI policy was implemented in phases, beginning with Year One, Form One and Lower Six students in 2003, under former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration.

On newspaper reports today that the education department had withdrawn permission for the SMK Sri Hartamas Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) to convene an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to voice their opposition over the reversal of the policy to use English as the medium of instruction for science and mathematics, Muhyiddin said the department officers should not have done as such.

"We are quite open. They (the department) should not overreact. I am sorry. I apologise. I think it is not fair (to withdraw the permission)," he said.

Muhyiddin hoped the department officers would not do such things in future.

He said by objecting to the reversal of the policy, it showed in a way, the success of the policy, although the government had to reverse it, taking into consideration the larger interests of students in the country.