SUPP welcomes court’s ruling vernacular schools constitutionally protected

MIRI (Nov 24): Sarawak United Peoples Party (SUPP) welcomes the Court of Appeal’s ruling yesterday that vernacular schools are constitutional, when it dismissed the appeal of four non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which sought to declare that the use of Chinese and Tamil languages as the medium of instruction in vernacular schools goes against the Federal Constitution.

“We applaud the wisdom and knowledge of the three-member panel, namely Justices Supang Lian, M Gunalan, and Azizul Azmi Adnan, who stated that vernacular schools were not a public authority and, as such, the use of Tamil and Mandarin languages as the medium of instruction for teaching in those schools was constitutional,” said SUPP secretary general, Datuk Sebastian Ting in a statement.

He added that as a party and a partner in government, SUPP stands on the side of the multi-faceted populace with their diverse needs and aspirations.

“We acknowledge that the constitutional rights of minorities must also be protected and that justice must be served when such rights are trampled upon, notably by extremist forces out to gain political mileage with the use of dreaded religious and racial sentiments.

“In this case, the right of the minorities to learn their mother tongue, Tamil and Mandarin, should be encouraged in our multi-racial society.

“SUPP wishes to ask: Why must anyone with some sense resist the desire of others to learn their mother tongue? In fact, we are happy to note that many Malay and Indian parents are sending their children to Chinese vernacular schools to learn Mandarin,” he said.

Ting, who is also the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industries and Performing Arts, said that in Sarawak, the Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has, on many occasions, openly encouraged Bumiputera parents to send their children to learn Chinese.

“Today, we are living in a borderless world, and learning an additional language or two will put one in good stead in their career, either locally or abroad.

“Learning and maintaining your mother tongue are essential for personal, cultural, and cognitive reasons. It contributes to a sense of identity, strengthens family and community ties, and provides a foundation for academic and professional success,” said Ting.

Additionally, he said it plays a crucial role in preserving cultural traditions and passing them on to future generations.

“For the above reasons, SUPP encourages all Malaysians to learn their mother tongue, and we must also stress that, at the same time, we have never lost sight of the importance of Bahasa Malaysia as a national language, which binds us all together as one people and one nation,” stressed Ting.