Dismayed by the compromise by Barisan Nasional parties on the language switch issue, the DAP today announced a nationwide campaign to highlight the flaws of the policy.

DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang said the campaign, scheduled to begin on Nov 19 in Kuala Lumpur, is intended to show that the implementation plan has "no educational merit whatsoever" and would burden students unnecessarily.

"That this is a politics first and education last policy is best illustrated by the reaction of the director-general of education Abdul Rafie Mahat, who was quoted as saying by The Star yesterday that the Barisan Nasional supreme council decision was purely a 'political' one," Lim told a press conference in Petaling Jaya.

Last Thursday, all BN parties agreed to accept the proposal put forward by four of the coalition's Chinese-based parties for the teaching of Maths and Science in Chinese primary schools to be conducted in two languages.

According to the plan, the schools will now teach 10 periods of Maths (six in Chinese and four in English) and six periods of Science (three each in Chinese and English). This is compared to seven periods of Maths and three periods of Science, all taught in English, for national and Tamil schools.

Ministry in the dark

Lim said the confusion over the matter is evident from the statements made by Abdul Rafie yesterday on the proposed implementation of the policy compromise.

"The ministry is in the dark as anyone else. They have said that teachers would not be paid more so where is the RM5 billion allocation (in the budget over the next seven years) going to? It looks like the politicians have washed their hands over the matter and left it to the ministry," he said.

Lim pointed to the uncertainty over whether Chinese primary schools would have to teach students the same content in two languages, teach some chapters in either language, or to teach students in Chinese but with supplementary teaching of terminologies in English.

"DAP would seriously suggest that all the nine new periods be devoted to teaching English instead as there is no educational case that using English to teach Maths and Science is the best and most effective way to raise proficiency (in the language)," he asserted.

According to him, studies conducted in several other countries have shown that the use of a second language as a medium of instruction from too early stages can impede their development and thinking skills of students, and affect their grasp of Maths, Science and languages.

For instance, Lim said the bilingual education system in South Africa had resulted in an "educational disaster" with students from the country scoring poorly in international Maths and Science surveys.

"South Africa came out last for Maths and Science and this is traced to the use of a second language, English, as a medium of instruction from too early stages," he said.

Gerakan let-down

The DAP leader also expressed disappointment with BN component party Gerakan for endorsing the latest compromise although the latter had initially opposed the government's language switch plan based on the same studies.

"Such educational insights did not prevent Gerakan leaders from compromising their political principles to agree to the outrageous formula which they know in their hearts to be completely unsound educationally."

Last August, Gerakan had rejected the government's proposal for Maths and Science to be taught completely in English to young pupils, stating instead its recommendation for a gradual introduction of English terminologies in the two subjects to be introduced only from Standard Four onwards.

However, this suggestion failed to convince other parties in the ruling coalition, and instead, a compromise was then sought only for Chinese primary schools.

Attorney-General to act

On an unrelated matter, DAP said it will continue to proceed with its 'No to 929' campaign against Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's declaration on Sept 29 last year that Malaysia is an Islamic state.

Campaign leader Tan Kok Wai who is also Cheras MP said police harassment against DAP leaders has continue despite the fact that the party's leaflets and booklets on the subject had been found to be not seditious.

Tan said Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail had assured the party during a meeting last week that the 929 campaign leaflets did not contain any seditious material.

"We protested to the AG that police action against us was unfair, and he agreed. He said he had advised the police that there is nothing wrong with the leaflets and that he will also speak with the Inspector General of Police Norian Mai over the matter," Tan said.

However, the Cheras MP said the party is still prepared for future disruptions of its campaign as deputy home affairs minister Chor Chee Heung, although conceding that the leaflets were not seditious, had defended police action as necessary to ensure "peace and security".

Chor said this in September while responding to questions raised in parliament by Tan on the matter.

Since the launch of the 'No to 929' campaign in June, several DAP leaders, including Lim, had been arrested in various cities throughout the country for allegedly distributing 'seditious' leaflets. However, none of them have been charged for any offence yet.