Ironic if BN, PN seen as more progressive in DLP issue, says Guan Eng

A report by Buletin TV3, later taken down, gave the impression that some schools in Penang were opposing Bahasa Malaysia as a medium of instruction in itself.

(FMT) – The DAP chairman says democratising education is an important reform for an open and progressive education system.

DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng today repeated his call for Putrajaya to adopt the practice of the previous Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Barisan Nasional (BN) governments concerning the implementation of the dual language programme (DLP).

Lim said he had called in March for the government to continue the practice of respecting parents’ choice for “a DLP in English without any conditions, interference or restrictions”.

He said respecting and honouring this choice would help democratise education to serve the wishes of parents in the best interests of the students.

“Democratising education is one important reform for an open and progressive education system.

“It would be ironic if the previous PN and BN governments were seen as more progressive or reformist by respecting parental choice,” he said in a statement.

Yesterday, Lim said that many Malay parents were asking for the right to decide for themselves whether their children would be taught science and mathematics in English or Bahasa Malaysia, without the education ministry’s condition that one class be taught in Bahasa Malaysia.

He said this in addressing a report by Buletin TV3, later taken down, which he said gave the impression that some schools in Penang were opposing Bahasa Malaysia as a medium of instruction in itself.

The former finance minister also said that leaders across the political divide were in favour of returning to the previous implementation of the DLP under Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration.