Queen questions power of PTAs to decide on teaching of Jawi

Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah has defended the introduction of Jawi as part of the Bahasa Melayu subject in vernacular schools.

"Jawi script is the heritage of us Malays. Let us all use and uplift Jawi script so we can all read it easily.

"Who wields more power? The Education Ministry or the Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs)?

"My children also go to government schools. The PTA is only to take care of the welfare (of students) and quality of lessons the teachers are providing in line with the syllabus," she said in a series of tweets on her personal Twitter page last night.

The tweets were all written in the Jawi script.

Earlier this week, Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching had reportedly said the teaching of Jawi in vernacular schools was subject to the approval from the PTA.

Previously, the queen had said it was an advantage to not only learn Jawi but also other additional language skills.

"It is no loss learning Jawi or other languages and calligraphy," she had said.

The introduction of Jawi into school syllabus has been a polarising issue.

It has met resistance and criticism from certain quarters, such as from Chinese educationist groups Dong Zong and Jiao Zong, who had initially planned a congress to protest against this issue.

The congress was later cancelled after a court issued an order banning it.

The Jawi issue has also received support from various parties such as the Malaysian Muslim Students Coalition (Gamis) who had held a rally defending the teaching of Jawi script on the first day of the new year.