"Vernacular schools not promised in the Constitution, but..."

While the building of vernacular schools is not specifically mentioned in the Federal Constitution, nevertheless it is something that the government has agreed upon.

Constitutional law expert Professor Emeritus Datuk Shad Saleem Faruqi said today that despite its development was not promised by Article 152, the government has given permission as part of compromise between various parties.

Speaking to Astro Awani, Shad also said that this is not the right time to raise such issues and should be discussed some other time.

“This is not the right time to do this... not the way for reconciliation. This is like a way of punishing those who didn’t vote for the government,” he said describing it as an ‘intense political issue’.

Recently, 130 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had demanded that the Government allow only one schooling system and alleged that vernacular schools were the main reason for disunity among Malaysians.

Commenting on the NGOs’ allegation that the blueprint is unconstitutional, Shad disagreed, saying that it is not unconstitutional.

Shad also criticised the NGOs’ act describing it as ‘seeking popularity’.

“It must be discussed some other time. Don’t need people who are seeking popularity or heroes at the moment.

“Not the right time... the election is over. I think it’s time to cool off, rebuild relationship among races rather than applying tit for tat,” he added.

Meanwhile, lawyer Syahredzan Johan said it is wrong for the NGOs to allege that the blueprint is illegal because it ‘contravenes provisions under the Constitution’.

“They have the right to have opine on vernacular schools vis a vis national unity and integration, but they should read the Federal Constitution carefully before making statements about illegality,” he said.

He explained that although the constitution does not expressly provide for vernacular schools, there is nothing in the constitution to prevent the establishment and maintenance of vernacular schools.

He said the right of the Federal Government or any State Government to preserve and sustain the use and study of the language of any other community in the Federation would arguably include these vernacular schools.