Strip citizenship of those not well-versed in Malay, Johor rep says

(The Star) – An assemblyman caused a stir in the Johor state assembly when he suggested that students who fail to master the national language be stripped of their citizenship.

Datuk Dr Shahruddin Salleh (BN-Jorak) (pic) said many students were not able to master the language and this was even prevalent among the Malays.

“Even my own neighbour whose father and mother are Malays but because their child goes to international school, the child is unable to converse in Malay,” he said adding that the situation was prevalent in the vernacular schools.

Dr Shahruddin added that students were now more interested in mastering English and do not take the learning of Malay seriously.

He said the use of the Mandarin and Tamil by teachers in vernacular schools was another reason for students being weak in Malay, adding that the teachers were also not well-versed in Malay.

Dr Shahruddin was interrupted by Tan Hong Pin (DAP-Mengkibol) who cited the standing orders but speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Aziz managed to defuse the situation.

Assemblyman Ali Mazat Salleh (BN-Bukit Batu) later suggested that the state government use Jawi in all its government documents statewide.

Entrepreneur, Cooperative Development, Education and Information committee chairman Md Jais Sarday shot down the suggestions saying the government has no plan to implement them.

At a press conference, Dr Boo Cheng Hau (DAP-Skudai) said Pakatan Rakyat would meet to refer Dr Shahruddin to the privileges committee.