'End vernacular schools, don't let Mandarin become second language'

PAS MUKTAMAR | Muslimat PAS, the women's wing of the Islamist party, said it is unwilling to see Mandarin become a second language for Malaysians.

It's vice-chief Salamiah Md Nor (photo), when debating PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's policy speech at the party's 65th muktamar - or annual general assembly - in Kuantan today, also called for an end to vernacular schools.

"Dewan Muslimat has one hope - we are unwilling for Mandarin to become a second language.

"We want the second language to be that of the Quran and Sunnah which have been neglected for generations, causing some Muslims to become ignorant about the Quran," she told delegates at the gathering.

Salamiah said the feedback she received was that people were uncomfortable with the vernacular school system.

"We ask and hope that the education minister (Maszlee Malik) will take action and end vernacular education," she said.

She also criticised the Pakatan Harapan government over what she claimed was its failure to follow through with promises to reform the education system.

Salamiah said the education system should be based on the Quran.

"We do not want education to separate knowledge from religion," she added.

At a press conference later, PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar downplayed concerns over Salamiah's call.

"Whatever is discussed at the muktamar level is not a policy of the government at state or federal level.

"So long as it is not brought up as a government policy, it remains a personal view on an issue," he said.

Reporting by Alyaa Alhadjri, Al-Abror Mohd Yusof, N Faizal Ghazali, M Fakhrull Halim and Lu Wei Hoong.

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