Mukhriz 'committed sedition' over vernacular schools

Opposition stalwart Lim Kit Siang has argued that Umno Youth chief aspirant Mukhriz Mahathir had committed sedition in calling for the closure of Chinese and Tamil primary schools.

Lim, who is also the Ipoh Timur MP, said Mukhriz was touching on one of four "sensitive" issues entrenched in the Federal Constitution.

He pointed out the Constitution Amendment 1971 had imposed absolute prohibition on Malaysians from questioning the four issues, which includes anyone who propose the closure of vernacular schools.

"It has no parliamentary immunity when one questions it during debates and as such it could be classified as sedition under the Sedition Act.

“As it has no parliamentary immunity, Mukhriz (left) can be stripped of his parliamentary membership if he is charged and found guilty of sedition and fined RM2,000 or jailed for a year," he said.

Lim cited several court decisions including Melan Abdullah v Public Prosecutor (1971) where Utusan Malaysia was found guilty of the sedition offence for its editorial subheading, ‘Hapuskan Sekolah Beraliran Tamil atau China di-Negeri ini’.

Another was Mark Koding v Public Prosecutor where the Sabah member of parliament was found guilty of sedition when he spoke in Parliament in October 1978 calling for the closure of Chinese and Tamil primary schools.

Malay supremacy blown out of proportion

The call by Mukhriz to shut down vernacular schools has created headlines in both newspapers and Internet news portals.

In calling the closure, the Umno Youth chief aspirant blamed the vernacular school system for polarising Malaysian society and resulted in the poor understanding of the Malay supremacy concept among the non-Malays.

The Jerlum MP argued that the disunity in the community arose from the different education systems and proposed a single system to foster greater unity.

The son of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the issue of Malay supremacy was blown out of proportion due to the poor understanding of both those who spoke in favour and against the concept.

The Ipoh Timur MP said if Mukhriz wants to publicly pursue the proposal for a single education system, he (Mukhriz) mush get the constitutional provision on the four entrenched sensitive issues amended or repealed.

Similarly, Lim said no one can question the special provision for the Malays and natives in Sabah and Sarawak as enshrined in Article 153, the sovereignty of Malay Rulers and the citizenship rights of non-Malay Malaysians.

"The law is very clear on this," he said adding if anybody lodged a police report against Mukhriz, he could be charged.

"If found guilty, he risks being stripped of his parliamentary membership as well as disqualified from taking part in parliamentary elections, if fined RM2,000 or jailed for a year."

Polorisation caused by politicians, not schools

Meanwhile, MCA president Ong Tee Keat feels that Mukhriz is just one of many who are repeating the same decades-old polemics, simply because of the coming Umno elections.

"It is saddening that politicians cannot think out of the box," he said in his blog.

Gerakan's chairperson for Education and Knowledge Society Bureau Dr Hsu Dar Ren strongly objects the proposal by Mukhriz to abolish all Chinese and Tamil schools and reminded the Jerlun MP that mother tongue education is the right of all Malaysians as enshrined under Article 152 (1)(a) and (b) of the Federal Constitution.

"Hence, the existence of vernacular schools is also guareenteed under the constitution," he said, adding Mukhriz should retract his statement in the interests of unity of the people as well of the Barisan Nasional coalition.

Hsu, who described Mukhriz's statement as a ploy to gain popularity in view of the Umno elections in March, said racial polarisation has more to do with politicians using race to fan feelings of deprivation and discrimination.

"Putting the blame on the existence of vernacular schools as the cause of polarisation is totally uncalled for and would only cause further polarisation."

Hsu said Mukhriz's statement runs counter to the Education Act 1996, which recognises the fundamental principle of a Malaysian parent's right to choose vernacular education for his or her children.

"Mukhriz has also gone against all BN manifestos in past elections guaranteeing the continued existence and development of Chinese and Tamil schools," he said, adding vernacular schools have contributed much in the process of nation-building.

Aimed at securing Umno support

Similarly the Kedah Gerakan Youth wing also opposed the proposal to abolish vernacular schools as this was one of the rights accorded by the federal constitution.

"However, we agree that pupils in government funded national schools should be given the opportunity to study their mother tongue and other languages including Tamil, Chinese and even foreign language such as Arabic," said its chief Tan Keng Liang in a statement.

Meanwhile DAP's Klang member of parliament Charles Santiago also denounced Mukhriz, calling his proposal as nonsensical and irrational.

"It is clear that his statement is aimed at securing support among Umno Youth members, an act which could land him the top job as youth chief at the party's election scheduled for March 2009," he said in a statement.

He said that Mukhriz should be ashamed for politicising mother-tongue education to further his career in ruling Umno.

Insensitive Umno politicians

"This ridiculous and dangerous suggestion by Mukhriz clearly shows his lack of knowledge of vernacular schools. He must realise that unity is not uniformity and unity does not come from any physical change, but from within the hearts and mind of each and every Malaysian," said the wing's chief T Mohan.

"If he were to visit at least one Tamil or Chinese school, he would known, that these schools promote and enhance unity among all the races greatly. The children not only learn to read, write and speak their language, but also learn the cultures, traditions and the heritages of their race," he said.

Mohan also said that it has become a practice among Umno politicians to use these issues to be seen as champions in their parties.

"Some of these politicians have also hurled derogatory remarks about the Indian community but have not been reprimanded or censured by their political parties. Mukhriz should not use sensitive and controversial issues to garner support in his bid to become the next Umno Youth chief," he added.

He also urged the Barisan Nasional to initiate its code of ethics soon to ensure that the component parties can keep their political leaders in check and not hurt the feelings of the other component parties.

"We feel that stern action including disciplinary action should be initiated against those who make these controversial statements to the media," he added.