DLP upholds Bahasa Malaysia

When the Dual Language Programme (DLP) was formulated in 2015, the criteria agreed upon was simple yet achievable; parents were required to provide consent in writing, that the school had the desired resources to conduct the programme especially the readiness of teachers and that the school leaders had a comprehensive plan to ensure its sustainability. Every school was encouraged to have at least one DLP class at every level.

At the last minute, prior to implementation in 2016, the Malay ultra-nationalists insisted on a fourth criteria: which was to impose a Bahasa Melayu (BM) requirement on schools. The respective schools needed to meet either the national average for BM in UPSR or SPM prior to applying to seek approval to adopt the DLP. In effect, a particular school needed to be good in BM even before applying to conduct science and mathematics classes in the English language.