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KUALA LUMPUR: Two organizations that filed a lawsuit to challenge the existence of vernacular schools today sought to challenge a Superior Court judge from hearing their case.
Lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla told Judge Wong Chee Lin today that the groups had written to the managing judge of the High Courts on September 28, indicating their intention to have the suit tried before another judge.
The two groups, the Peninsular Malaysia Student Association (GPMS) and the Islamic Educational Development Council (Mappim), are seeking a statement that Sections 2, 17 and 28 of the Education Act 1996, and the measure in that provide for the establishment of vernacular schools using Chinese and Tamil as the main languages are incompatible with Article 152 (1) of the Federal Constitution and are null and void.
“However, we have not received any response from the chief judge,” Haniff said, adding that his clients wanted the trial to be conducted in Malay.
Wong said he was aware of the recusal intention and that they should file a formal recusal request against him.
“Before applying, when I said that I had difficulty understanding, what I meant was the accent of the speaker. I can ask you to repeat yourself.
“It does not mean that I cannot handle the trials in Malay. I have handled trials where witnesses spoke in Malay, ”he told the lawyer.
Wong added that the court was aware that potential witnesses would testify in Malay and she was not shirking her responsibility.
Haniff then said that they would file a formal challenge request against Wong.
The court then set December 4 for the citation of the case, after senior federal attorney S Narkunavathy, who appeared for the education ministry, told the judge that another High Court in Kota Bharu was scheduled to hear an application. transfer to file a similar lawsuit to be judged here.
In Kota Bharu, the Muslim Malaysian Ikatan Guru-Guru, represented by its president, Mohd Azizee Hasan, is challenging the constitutionality of sections 17 and 28 of the Education Act.
For the GPMS and Mappim lawsuit, 11 political parties and organizations, including MCA, MIC and Gerakan, have submitted applications to be parties in the case. Suhakam and the Malaysian bar are conducting an observation report.
Later, Haniff explained to reporters that both organizations were seeking Wong’s disqualification because she had “very fairly and honorably conceded that her command of Bahasa Melayu is not strong enough to follow fluent Malay.”
He added: “Since the subject of the plaintiffs’ case has to do with the need to have a one-stream national school towards national unity, and to oppose vernacular schools that the plaintiffs believe negates that goal, they also believe that the advancement of the language must be healthy, inclusive in the courts. “
