NIBONG TEBAL: Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek will meet with the boards and parent-teacher associations (PTA) of 11 Chinese-medium secondary schools to find a solution to the implementation of a science and mathematics class being taught in Bahasa Malaysia.
Federal government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil said he has spoken to Fadhlina on the matter and added that she has said that her ministry will meet with the boards and parent-teacher associations of these secondary schools to find a solution to the issue.
The Communication Minister said he also had instructed the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to monitor social media for racially-charged comments on this issue.
"We do not want any parties politicising what is actually a conveyed opinion," he said after the Sembang Santai Programme with Komuniti Madani chiefs here on Thursday ( June 6 ).
He said the issue was only on the objection to the implementation of a ruling that at least one science and mathematics class is to be taught in Bahasa Malaysia.
Fahmi then said that action will be taken on those who post racially charged comments on social media.
On Wednesday(June 5), 11 SMJK and Chinese secondary schools in Penang said that they are not in favour of the latest directive, where at least one class must be set up for Science and Mathematics to be taught in Bahasa Malaysia as a DLP prerequisite.
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Among the worries that were raised by the parents is that forcing this requirement on their children would end up affecting their academic performance.
On the Sungai Bakap by-election, Fahmi said that a meeting would be held to finalise several matters before picking the Pakatan Harapan candidate to contest the state seat.
The Pakatan communications director said that preparations for the by-election are proceeding smoothly.
This follows an announcement by the Election Commission on Thursday that polling has been set for July 6, with Nomination Day being on June 22.
On May 27, Penang State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Law Choo Kiang submitted notification of the vacant Sungai Bakap state seat to the Election Commission (EC) following the death of assemblyman Nor Zamri Latiff.
The notice was submitted to Penang EC director Dr Siti Nazariah Abdul Zalim on the state assembly grounds.
Nor Zamri, 56, died at 1.38pm on May 24 while receiving treatment at the intensive care unit of Hospital Seberang Jaya due to inflammation in the stomach.
The Nibong Tebal PAS chief secured 15,433 votes in the August 2023 state election, defeating Pakatan Harapan's Nurhidayah Che Rose by a 1,563-vote majority.
