The government has been urged to make Malay Literature a core subject at the secondary level in efforts to scrap the idea that it was an unimportant subject.

Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) Faculty of Languages and Communication lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Abdul Halim Ali said something should be done to ensure that Malay Literature, which has a poor response among students, not regarded as a second class subject.

"When I was making evaluations at several schools, I found that not even half of the students took literature and this is not good for the national education system.

"What's even more alarming is that literature is not given a special place although it represents Malay civilization and our country," he told Bernama when met recently.

Regarding the lack of interest for the subject among students, he said this was due to the perception that literature had no economic value.

"Literature is seen as a subject for weak students and they (students) think that there is no career prospect or economic value," he said.

He said 59 fully residential schools nationwide did not promote literature to its students, instead it solely focused on mastering science and technology.

"Science and technology are important, but it would not be complete if students lack values in upholding the nation's civilization," he added.

He said only integrated schools were seen trying to balance civilization and human sciences, which should be emulated and turned into a permanent plan for the National Education Dialogue.

- Bernama