Reach consensus on language switch, BN component parties told

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Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad urged Barisan Nasional component parties to discuss the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English rationally and reach a consensus on the issue.

"If we want to reject, we reject. If we want to accept, we accept. We want to modify, we modify.

"Whatever it is, let's make a decision together," the premier was quoted as saying by the official news agency Bernama .

Mahathir was speaking to reporters at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Subang following his return late yesterday from visits to India, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

BN is meeting later today to decide on the use of English to teach Science and Mathematics in primary and secondary schools. The education ministry has said that it was prepared to implement the new system beginning next year.

The suggestions to implement this new system has come under flak from various quarters and on Sunday, the second-biggest component party in the ruling coalition, MCA also rejected the move.

When asked to comment on the MCA's stand, Mahathir said, "We have no political axe to grind. All we want to do is what is good for Malaysia and Malaysians".

The premier added he had avoided making statements on the language switch issue despite people asking him what he was going to do.

"I said wait, wait, wait, because I want to get a feel of these things so that people will know.

BN unity

Talking about the BN meeting today, Mahathir stressed that the idea of BN was to allow its member parties to discuss things rationally and reach an agreement.

He said the consensus reached might be to reject or modify elements of any proposal but the most important thing was to give the BN a chance to discuss the matter.

"If we sideline BN and make a decision, this does not show the unity of the Barisan Nasional," he said.

The premier added that he always stressed that BN gave equal importance to all its component parties, even small ones, that sat on the supreme council.

He said one of the things the world admired about Malaysia was how the different races could live in peace and the reason for this was the concept of the BN.

"We are not going to assimilate people, we are not going to form a single party, we are going to have parties representing different views, but in all things, we must agree before we decide on anything," he said.

He noted that in his speeches, he had regularly drove home the point that the BN was meant to reach a consensus among all the different parties.

Mahathir said he never dictated what should be the outcome of any discussions among component parties in the ruling front.



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