Science and Maths issue: PAS Youth dares Hisham

PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub today challenged his counterpart at Umno Hishammuddin Hussein for a debate on the issue of teaching Science and Mathematics in English.

Salahuddin submitted his invitation letter for the debate to Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin in Parliament today.

In the letter, Salahuddin said that he would allow Hishammuddin to choose the venue and date for the debate.

He also proposed that the debate be telecast live so that the people can judge for themselves the issues at hand.

The PAS leader gave Hishammuddin seven days to respond to the invitation.

The language chosen for teaching the two subjects has been a thorny issue for the government and the education ministry which Hishammuddin heads.

Malay nationalist movements and others like PAS want the subjects to be taught in Bahasa Malaysia.

Likewise, Chinese and Tamil education groups want the subjects to be taught in the mother-tongue.

The ministry is to decide soon as to whether it will maintain the policy or revert to teaching the subjects in Bahasa Malaysia and mother-tongue languages.

A discussion on ISA too

Speaking to reporters later, the Kubang Kerian member of parliament said the time has come for the youth factions of both parties to establish their stand as the language issue has become highly polemic and protracted.

Salahuddin also said that the format of the debate - on whether it would be held as a group event or a face-to-face event - would be confirmed later as soon as the Umno youth chief agreed to the debate.

Asked on how he perceived Umno's response to be, Salahuddin said: "Before there is no reaction at all, but now there is some feedback and I look at positively".

Khairy who accepted the challenge added that he would take up the matter with Hishammuddin.

"I have just received this, and we have look at the best time to have the debate... if we cannot make it within this month, then I will hand it over to the incoming youth chief to decide," said Khairy referring to the upcoming Umno Youth elections on March 25.

Khairy, who is also the Rembau MP, added that he has also not forgotten the calls by PAS to discuss matters relating to the Internal Security Act (ISA) three months ago.

"We were supposed to have a sit-in discuss on the relevance of ISA and on the best ways to tackle the indefinite prison term without trial but it has been delayed because I went on my pilgrimage and then came the Kuala Terengganu by-election followed by the Perak issue," said Salahuddin, adding that they would be doing it soon.

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