KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has fixed Dec 29 to decide on a suit against the existence of vernacular schools in this country.
Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali fixed the date today after hearing submissions from the applicants and defendants.
Nazlan said the decision would be delivered via physical proceedings at 10.30am.
The suit was initiated by the Federation of Peninsular Malay Students (GPMS), the Islamic Education Development Council (Mappim), and the Confederation of Malaysian Writers Association (Gapena) in December 2019.
They are seeking a court declaration that the existence of vernacular schools goes against the provisions in the federal constitution as Article 152(1) of the Federal Constitution defines Malay as the national language.
Haniff in his submissions yesterday said the existence of vernacular schools was actually detrimental to non-Bumiputeras.
Haniff, who represented GPMS and Mappim, said such schools actually reduced non-Bumiputera students' chances of employment due to their lack of knowledge in Bahasa Malaysia.
He said most employers in the private and also public sectors preferred candidates who are fluent in Bahasa Malaysia in terms of speech and writing.
He said the national education system which allowed the establishment of Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools was contrary to Article 5(1) of the FC.
However, counsel Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram who represented the Malaysian Chinese Language Council (MCLC) said the plaintiffs do not have any locus standi to commence the court action.
The other organisations who have also been named as defendants are Chinese educationist groups Dong Zong and Jiao Zong, Persatuan Thamizhar Malaysia, Persatuan Tamilar Thurunal (Perak), Persatuan Gabungan Kebajikan Guru-Guru Bersara Sekolah Tamil, the Malaysian Chinese Language Council, Persatuan Malaysia Tamil Neri Kalagam, Gabungan Persatuan Bekas Pelajar Sekolah Tamil Malaysia and SMJK Chong Hwa.
Apart from the government, four political parties – MIC, MCA, Gerakan and Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia – have also joined in as defendants.
Senior federal counsel Narkunavathy Sundareson who acted for the government said vernacular schools are part of the education system.