PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has dismissed Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng’s call for the party to introduce Tamil and Mandarin in its preschools (PASTI) as “narrow and village-minded thinking.”
He stressed that his earlier proposal for Tamil and Mandarin to be offered in national schools was made with a national interest in mind — to strengthen racial unity and reduce sensitivities between communities.
“If he wants to suggest it for PASTI, that has no meaning. What we want is for it to be part of the national education policy, not confined to one unit. That kind of thinking is too narrow. Racial unity issues cannot be resolved with one or two units alone,” he said during a press conference after officiating the Muslim Ummah International Forum in Bandar Darulaman on Sunday.
He was responding to Lim Lip Eng’s statement that PAS should first implement Tamil and Mandarin classes in its own preschools before proposing such measures for national schools.
On Saturday, Tuan Ibrahim had suggested that both languages be introduced to all students in national schools, saying it could foster unity and reduce mutual suspicion among races.
Clarifying further, he said the proposal was not meant to be mandatory, but offered as an alternative.
“The idea is based firstly on strengthening Bahasa Melayu as the national language so that all Malaysians, regardless of race, can master it well. Secondly, we want to reduce ethnic sensitivities. If students are interested in learning Mandarin or Tamil, they can take it in national schools. The aim is to narrow the gap when language issues arise,” he explained.
He added that it was up to the government to decide whether to consider the proposal, but expressed confidence that it could contribute toward national integration.
“I only put forward an idea. Usually, the government won’t take it seriously. At best, they will just consider it,” he said.
