NO.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245
Website: www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com Email:info@humanrightspartymalaysia.com
Your Reference :
In Reply : HRP/ FEB/2010
Date : 12/2/2010
YAB. Dato Seri Najib Razak
Perdana Menteri Malaysia
Blok Utama Bangunan Perdana Putra,
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, Fax: 03-88883444
62502 Putrajaya E-Mail : najib@pmo.gov.my.
Y.B Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
Menteri Pelajaran,
Pejabat Menteri Pelajaran,
Aras 10, Block E8,
Complex Kerajaan Parcal E, Fax: 03-8889 5846
62604 Putrajaya. E- Mail: khairulam@moe.gov.my
No POL Tamil class but Arabic class on
We refer to the above matter
As school starts every January we receive the standard complaints from parents year in and year out over the last 20 years that Pupils Own Language (POL) ie the Tamil Language is never taught during regular school hours and/or the class ceases after just a few months.
We recollect that even in the early 1990s’ Dr Mahathir Mohammad the then Prime Minister announced and made headlines at least in the New Straits Times that Pupils Own Language (POL) would be taught in national schools during regular school hours but never saw the light of the day. Thereafter Prime Minister Badawi repeated the same but that too was never implemented.
Even the Director General of the Education Alimuddin last year confirmed that “Tamil and Mandarin lessons would be held during school hours”. But in almost all national schools this was never is implemented. While in some other schools POL is only taught after regular school hours. Many Indian parents have complained about the inconvenience, transportation and the extra transportation cost. This is crucial as 70% of the ethnic minority Malaysian Indians have been kept in the poor and hardcore poor category after having been excluded from the national mainstream development of Malaysia by UMNO for over the last 52 years.
We are puzzled that Arabic, which is a non native language in Malaysia is however taught during regular school hours. The irony is Indian parents are forced to send their children for Arabic classes as their schools refused to provide for POL during regular school hours (The Star 12/2/2010 at page N53).
Article 8 of the Federal Constitution provides for equality before the law Article 12 of the same provides for rights in respect of education and “no discrimination against any citizen on the grounds only of religion, race descent or place of birth in the administration of any educational institution maintained by a public authority and in particular the admission of pupils or students.
Section 27 of the Education Act provides “It shall be the duty of the Minister to provide primary education in government and government-aided primary schools. Section 28 of the same provides “Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Minister may establish national schools and national- type schools and shall maintain such schools.
In the circumstances we hereby humbly call upon the Prime Minister and the Education Minister to direct the Director General of the Education Ministry Tan Sri Dato’ Hj. Alimuddin Bin Hj. Mohd Dom to forthwith issue a directive to all primary and secondary schools that the Tamil language be included in the timetable and be taught as Pupils Own Language (POL) during regular school hours at all primary and secondary schools throughout Malaysia.
Kindly revert to us accordingly.
Thank You.
Yours faithfully,
……………………..
P.Uthayakumar
Secretary General (Pro tem)
Cc: Tan Sri Dato’ Hj. Alimuddin Bin Hj. Mohd Dom
Director-General of Education Malaysia
Office of Director-General of Education Malaysia
Level 8, Block E8,
Government Complex Parcel E,
Federal Government Administrative Centre, Tel: 03- 88846077
62604 Putrajaya Fax: 03-88894548
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