Barisan Nasional today unanimously decided that English will be used to teach Science and Mathematics in all primary and secondary schools beginning next year.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is the BN chairperson, said the controversial policy will proceed as planned.

"The decision was made with 100 percent consensus," he told a packed press conference after chairing a three-hour supreme council meeting involving all 14 BN partners at the Umno headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

"All have agreed that English will be taught directly from primary right up to secondary level to improve the proficiency of the language," he added.

The premier stressed that the language switch will involve both national and vernacular schools.

One-week deadline

However, he said, the Chinese-based component parties have been given one week to determine the model of implementation in vernacular schools.

Earlier, the two largest Chinese-based parties, MCA and Gerakan, had opposed the implementation of the switch in primary schools, proposing that it be limited to secondary schools alone.

They argued that secondary students are better equipped to handle the switch while primary students should be allowed to continue learning the two subjects in their mother-tongue.

The Indian-based BN component, MIC, has been supportive of the proposal since it was mooted by Mahathir early this year.

In the 2003 Budget, the government allocated RM5 billion to be spent over seven years for the implementation of the new policy.

Elaborating further, Mahathir said: "I say there is consensus [in the BN decision] because we have all agreed on the same policy.

"Though it may look as if the Chinese-based parties' stand is different, it is only a matter of different approach," he said, adding that a solution to that is expected within a week.

On whether this will mean differences in implementation for national and vernacular schools, the prime minister said the government will try to have a uniform method by next year.

"The [Chinese-based] parties will come back to me with the modifications most suitable or acceptable to them. Our intention is to proceed with the policy next year," he said.

However, the premier refused to divulge any details when asked what the MCA had to say about the policy.

Don't speculate

When approached by journalists immediately after the press conference, MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik merely reiterated the unanimity of the decision.

He said everyone agreed that English was an important subject to be taught in schools.

"The Chinese-based parties have asked for one more week to decide on the model, whether to continue in Chinese or to be partly in English and partly in Chinese."

However, an immediate clarification of what he meant by this was not possible as Ling was ushered into another room and journalists were barred from following suit.

Attempts to ask more questions were only met with: "No, no. Please don't speculate. We'll be back in one week's time."

In July, the Umno supreme council had announced that the two subjects will be taught in English starting next year in Year One, Form One, and Lower Six.

This proposal had met with strong objections from various education groups and academics, particularly the vernacular s.

Yesterday, Mahathir had urged component parties to discuss the matter rationally and reach a consensus.