Although the Oct 23 supreme council of the Barisan Nasional (BN) has reportedly made a decision in "100% support" of the proposal to teach Science and Mathematics in English in all primary schools beginning next year, the Cabinet has not.

For the formulation or shift of official policy, only the decision of the Cabinet is constitutionally and legally binding on the nation, although any Cabinet decision can still be objected politically by voters in, among others, general elections.

In any case, even the decision reached at the BN supreme council meeting is still being passionately debated and questioned as to whether or not there is an "exemption" for the Chinese primary schools. There are also differing interpretations on whether the "exemption", if any, is only "modification".

A second BN supreme council meeting has been called to discuss again the earlier decision. It means that the Oct 23 meet had reach no workable decision, despite the unilateral assertion that the unworkable decision was given "100% support" by all component parties of the BN.

PM under fire from Keadilan

Lurking behind the Umno-MCA and intra-MCA debates on interpretations is the Muslim/Malay-based multi-ethnic opposition parties which also oppose to the Umno proposal to teach Science and Mathematics in English in all primary schools beginning next year.

For example, on Oct 22, the deputy Youth chief of Keadilan and an opposition state assemblyman in Kedah, Saifudin Nasution publicly called for an "apolitical" national convention to explore more effective ways and means to upgrade the proficiency of English of Malaysians.

Saifudin also criticised Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for calling Chinese Malaysians who oppose the proposal as "extremists".

In fact, as early as July 20, Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had already said in a press statement that her party "opposes changes initiated by the BN to impose sudden and basic changes in the national system of education, without careful and detailed consideration being given to the practicality and implications, especially to the under-privileged".

According to her, Keadilan "supports the freedom of each community to preserve its own identity through its language and culture as an important feature in our multi-ethnic society, with Bahasa Malaysia as the national language".

She also added that the right of every ethnic community to practise and preserve its own language and culture is enshrined in the Federal Constitution, and "there should be no attempt to diminish this right".

PAS backs Chinese groups

Moreover, the traditional nemesis of Umno, namely PAS also objects to the proposal. The position of the Islamic opposition party was expressed by its acting president, Abdul Hadi Awang on 11 August this year. Abdul Hadi is also the parliamentary Opposition Leader.

According to Abdul Hadi, PAS "fully supports" Dong Jiao Zong and other Chinese organisations "in their effort to uphold the use of mother tongue in the teaching of Science and Mathematics in Chinese primary schools".

He said, PAS was not against the effort to upgrade the proficiency of English to help Malaysians to cope with globalization, but the Umno proposal was "rash and undemocratic" and based on "racial politics".

As late as Oct 22, Dr.Syed Azman Ahmad Nawawi (PAS-Kuala Trengganu) and Kamaruddin Jaafar (PAS-Tumpat) still found it electorally appealing to raise the issue in Parliament by tabling a motion to deduct the salary of the Education Minister. Although the motion was, as expected, rejected, PAS has reaffirmed its stand.

Unprecedented as it may seem, the fact remains that the original position taken by the MCA-led caucus on the issue coincides essentially with that adopted by Umno's nemeses, namely PAS and Keadilan. This fact has certainly made the controversy not racial, but multi-ethnic and national.

Although the relative strengths between Umno and PAS/Keadilan is subject to different observations and judgements, it can reasonably be hypothesised that both sides of the Malay/Muslim divide still maintain a 50:50 proportion. It means that Umno's rear is actually not very secure when it frontally confronts MCA and other Chinese-based parties on the issue.

There might also be quiet opposition to the proposal within Umno as reflected in an earlier attempt of the Senai division of Umno in Johor to move a motion of no-confidence against Education Minister Musa Mohamed.

Complicating forces

These factors and forces may further complicate the strategic or tactical calculations of Umno which dominated BN and the Cabinet. If "exemption" or "modification" is given to Chinese primary schools as a political concession to the MCA-led Chinese caucus in the BN, Malays/Muslims can also demand for the same concession in the name of 'fairness' through the opposition to the proposal, inside or outside Umno.

If "exemption" or "modification" is given to all schools, then the original purpose of the proposal will, in effect, be defeated. However, if no "exemption" or "modification" is to be given to any schools, including Chinese schools, MCA, Gerakan and other Chinese-based parties would be in deep trouble, at least, in the coming general elections, if not beyond.

Although the possibility of MCA, Gerakan and other Chinese-based BN component parties breaking off with Umno organisationally is very remote, the 'threat' of their discontented and frustrated ranks and files, and sympathisers secretly voting for the Malay/Muslim-based multi-ethnic opposition parties in Malay/Muslim-predominated constituencies, in protest against a 'common enemy', is conceivable and real.

Seen against these overlooked or forgotten general backdrops, the defection of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Sabah from the MCA-Gerakan alliance to Umno is relatively insignificant. In other words, the sheer number of Malay/Muslim opposition supporters in the Malay/Muslim heartlands in Peninsula are more than sufficient to offset the impact of LDP's defection. Moreover, there are still many other issues Umno and PAS/Keadilan are in passionate disputation.

JAMES WONG WING ON is chief analyst of Strategic Analysis Malaysia (SAM) which produces the subscriber-based political report, Analysis Malaysia . Wong is a former member of parliament (1990-1995) and a former columnist for the Sin Chew Jit Poh Chinese daily. He read political science and economics at the Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. While in Sin Chew , he and a team of journalists won the top awards of Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) for 1998 and 1999.