Malaysian stand-up comedian Harith Iskander has sparked widespread debate after saying that Chinese vernacular schools (SJKCs) should be abolished, but later clarified that he was advocating for a unified national education system rather than the removal of Chinese language education.
The 60-year-old comedian made the remarks in a video posted on his social media account, where he said in English that he believed Chinese schools should be abolished. He stressed, however, that it was his personal opinion and that he understood and respected why the Chinese community values vernacular schools.
Harith went on to explain his proposal, saying Malaysia should redesign its education system so that all children study together in the same schools under a unified national system.
He suggested that Bahasa Malaysia remain the main medium of instruction, with English continuing as a compulsory subject.
At the same time, he proposed making Mandarin a compulsory subject in all national schools, saying this would allow students to communicate confidently in Bahasa Malaysia, English and Mandarin after completing their education.
“Imagine children leaving school able to speak Bahasa Malaysia, English and even Mandarin with confidence. I think that would be fantastic,” he said.
Harith also said he intentionally used a provocative title to encourage public discussion and invite people to share whether they agreed or disagreed with his views.
He criticised the current state of social media discourse, saying disagreements often escalate into personal attacks instead of constructive discussions.
“In the past, people would simply say they disagreed. Now they call you an idiot or claim you don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
Harith, who is known for his outspoken comedy, recently made headlines after Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, filed a defamation lawsuit against him.
The suit relates to remarks Harith allegedly made during his “Harith Iskander: Jailed for Jokes” stand-up show in Melaka on Jan 17, where he reportedly displayed Rosmah’s photograph and made comments that she claims were defamatory and intended to ridicule her appearance and damage her reputation.
In addition to seeking damages, Rosmah is also asking the High Court to issue an injunction preventing Harith or his representatives from repeating or publishing the alleged defamatory remarks.
