PUTRAJAYA: In a split decision, the Federal Court has dismissed a leave application by two Malay-Muslim interest groups to set aside a Court of Appeal ruling that it is constitutional for vernacular schools to use Mandarin or Tamil as their medium of instruction.
PUTRAJAYA: The use of Chinese or Tamil in national-type schools as a medium of instruction is protected by Article 152 of the Federal Constitution, and the government can “preserve and sustain” the use and study of these languages, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
PUTRAJAYA: Vernacular schools are protected under the Federal Constitution, hence the judgment of the Court of Appeal should not be disputed, say stakeholders.
PUTRAJAYA: An appeal will be filed against the Court of Appeal’s decision that vernacular schools are constitutional, says lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla.