DAP's Skudai assemblyperson Dr Boo Cheng Hau is questioning whether Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) will make it a government policy to strip the citizenship of those who are not well-versed in the national language, if it comes to power.

This came after Jorak assemblyperson Shahruddin Salleh, who had made the suggestion two years ago, was appointed as the new party’s secretary-general on Thursday last week.

“Bersatu secretary-general has on several occasions reiterated that all students, including  Malays who failed Bahasa Malaysia, should be stripped of their citizenship.

“Is this going to be Bersatu’s new policy when it comes to power? Can we work together with all this fanatical rhetoric?

“We have supported (PKR de facto leader) Anwar Ibrahim because PKR is a Malay-majority multiracial party for all Malaysians,” the former state opposition leader said in a statement today.

Shahruddin defected from Umno to Bersatu last week, and was subsequently sacked from his post as the Malaysian Institute of Translation & Books (ITBM) chairperson.

He had caused a stir in the Johor state assembly two years ago when he proposed that the government set up a special test on the Malay language.

“If they fail this test, have their citizenship stripped,” he said.

He complained at the time that many students, including many Malays, were not able to master the language.