Media Statement
Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia Calls for Language and Cultural Diversity and
Protection of Mother Tongue
13 June, 2013

Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia (GBM) is shocked and surprised over the call by 130 pro-UMNO NGOs, led by the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM) yesterday to abolish mother-tongue education as a new height of the post-election blaming game.

These groups are calling upon the BN chairman, Najib Abdul Razak to renege his promise to upgrade Chinese-medium higher education institutions since the Chinese voters “broke their promise” to support the BN. It is most disappointing that PPIM has adopted a racist stance instead of enhancing its Islamic and universal endeavours.

GBM stresses that, the right to learn and practice one’s mother tongue is  an inalienable right of Malaysians and is protected by the Federal Constitution. Linguistic diversity and multi-culturalism are   celebrated and  mutually respected by all religions and faiths. It has become part of our education system in terms of delivering social justice, moral, spiritual and ethical strength to create a Malaysian society that is united, democratic, liberal and dynamic. It is the way forward for Malaysia to reinforce its position in tandem with international instruments, covenants and conventions support.

GBM urges all Malaysians to stand firm in rejecting cheap and unethical attempts by groups and politicians to question the mother tongue education system that has evolved over the years to provide Malaysia the uniqueness in linguistic and cultural diversity.  Just last Saturday, BN vice chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had said that he would take firmer action to protect all the institutions that had been established to look after the development, harmony, solidarity, security and peace in the country.

It is saddening that the process of reconciliation over the election results is continuously put in danger by unscrupulous groups wanting to taint the colourful multi-ethnic fabric of Malaysia with a restrictive narrow minded call for abolishing of Chinese and Tamil school systems.

These groups fail to appreciate the operation of democracy that people elect government of the day. It is an irony that government elected by people would be asked to act against will of the very people who elect the government.

The way forward for the government is to redress its performance of the past and move forward with a progressive agenda. GBM would like stress that there is much room for improving our education system to bring it to a world class standard. This cannot be achieved by acting against the aspirations of the people for linguistic diversity and mother tongue education.

Issued by the Executive Council of Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia