JITRA: Pas deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has dismissed a DAP lawmaker’s call for the party to introduce Tamil and Mandarin in its affiliated preschool network, Pasti, describing it as “meaningless”.
He said genuine efforts to strengthen racial unity must be pursued at the national level through policy, rather than piecemeal initiatives.
“DAP’s proposal to start with Pasti is meaningless. What we want is a national education policy, not a fragmented effort. That kind of thinking is ‘kampung-minded’. We need one system for the whole country.
“This is about national unity. It cannot be resolved by one or two institutions, but must be addressed through broader policy,” he told reporters after attending the Muslim Ummah International Forum here today.
Tuan Ibrahim clarified that his suggestion yesterday was for Chinese and Tamil to be introduced as optional subjects in national schools, not as compulsory ones. https://www.nst.com.my/amp/news/nation/2025/09/1274723/tuan-ibrahim-teaching-tamil-mandarin-schools-could-bridge-divides
“First, we must strengthen Bahasa Melayu as the national language so that every citizen, regardless of race, fully identifies with the nation through mastery of the language.
“Second, we want to reduce ethnic sensitivities. My proposal was not to make Chinese and Tamil mandatory, but to provide them as options in national schools.
“If students are interested in learning Chinese or Tamil, they can take it up. The aim is to reduce misunderstandings whenever language issues arise,” he said.
Tuan Ibrahim said that his suggestion was not intended to replace national policy, but to contribute towards building a more cohesive national education system.
His remarks came in response to Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng, who had challenged Pas to first introduce Mandarin and Tamil classes in Pasti if the party was serious about the proposal.
Lim also said that both languages had long been offered as additional subjects in national schools, arguing that Pas leaders seemed unaware of the existing system.
Tuan Ibrahim dismissed the criticism as narrow-minded.
“This proposal is just an idea. It is up to the government to decide whether to consider it,” he said. — NSTP/AHMAD MUKHSEIN MUKHTAR
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
