A police report was lodged today against former Court of Appeal judge VC George, for calling for the abolishment of the nation's Tamil vernacular schools.

The report, lodged by Klang businessman V Vembarasan, called for the arrest of George who is also a former Bar Council president.

The report was lodged at Brickfields police district headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

In the July edition of law magazine, Relevan, George (left) was quoted as saying that he wanted Tamil schools to be "abolished."

"What are my hopes for the future? I hope that there will be an end to 'bumiputera-ism'. I hope that Malaysia is able to curb religious extremism of all kinds," he said in a special feature commemorating the nation's golden jubilee.

Also interviewed for the report were Works Minister Samy Vellu and former transport minister Dr Ling Liong Sik.

Based on paper

"And I hope an independent Judicial Commission to ensure an independent and competent judiciary will be established. I would also like to see Tamil schools abolished," he was quoted as saying.

Contacted today, DAP lawyer A Sivanesan said a group representing organisations supportive of vernacular eduction, had put off lodging a report earlier, claiming they wanted to hear out George.

Last week the former judge told Malaysian Nanban that he was not given the chance to explain his statement.

"We visited him and he explained his part of the story. He said his findings were based on a paper presented six years ago in a symposium entitled Indians in the 21st Millennium," said Sivanesan.

Sivanesan (right), who is also DAP legal bureau chairperson, was accompanied by the party's Ipoh Barat member of parliament M Kulasegaran. Also present were representatives from the Tamil foundation.

"In the paper, it said Tamil schools ought to be improved. He told us that he felt that Tamil schools should be abolished and supported implementing Tamil subjects in SK schools as compulsory subjects," Sivanesan said.

"We said we cannot accept that. The paper was based on a 1974 finding. We told him, 'you have to retract it and apologise' and he refused. So it left us with no option but to lodge the report," he said.

The police report had called for the immediate arrest of George for "inciting the Indians, insulting Tamil schools and causing discontent among the Indians."

More in Tamil schools now

Sivanesan said the report was necessary: "Now they are talking about improvements to Tamil schools and the education system. In the 1960s, Tamil schools were in a deplorable stand. Only rubber tappers sent their children to the schools.

"But now that the perception is gone. More have opted to send their children to Tamil schools where they learn not only culture but religion. They would not have learnt these from national schools. We feel there is more Islamisation in national schools," said Sivanesan.

In the Nanban report on Thursday, George lamented he was not given the chance to explain himself.

"You passed the sentence and now you are investigating. I must retract (the statement), I must apologise. That's what you wrote in your paper. Why do you come now? Don't waste your time, leave," George was quoted as saying in an interview.

"Going to my house without my permission is the first offense. Coming to see me without appointment is the second offence. Publishing against me without getting my opinion is the third offence," he said.

There are over 111,000 school children in 514 Tamil schools nationwide.