Deputy Education Minister Mohd Puad Zarkashi has charged that MCA, MIC and Gerakan’s stance on the Teaching of Mathematics and Science in English (PPSMI) policy would undermine the Malay language.

“Their stance will weaken and erode the Malay language. They should not doubt the Education Ministry policy to strengthen the command of English through the MBMMBI (Upholding the Malay Language and Strengthening the English Language) which is far better than before,” he was quoted as saying in a Berita Harian report today.

Dr Puad Zarkashi Puad ( right ), according to the report, also questioned the Chinese and Indian-based parties for defending their mother tongue in the teaching of Mathematics and Science at their respective vernacular schools but advocated the English language in secondary national schools.

He added their stance looked as if the parties did not want the Malay language to be a medium for knowledge and unity.

“In the issue of PPSMI, there should not be any parties who adopt a double standard attitude,” he was quoted as saying.

In the report, he also dismissed the parties’ concern that the new MBMMBI policy would disrupt students’ learning process at secondary schools as illogical.

The PPSMI is expected to come to an end next year but some component parties within the ruling coalition have voiced support for certain groups which advocated the partial or optional continuation of the policy.

Among the prominent lobby group is the Parents Action Group for Education (Page) which has called on the government to allow certain urban schools the option to retain the PPSMI policy.

However, Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had yesterday declared that the matter has been decided upon in 2009 and is no longer open for negotiation.

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