Rais had blasted DAP’s Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen for his insistence on speaking in English in Parliament earlier this week.
He had said – “MPs who refuse to speak in Bahasa Melayu should step down from their posts – he lives in Malaysia, he should understand the national language – if he insists on using English, he should resign as an MP.”
According to news reports, Chong had began his debate in Bahasa Melayu but had switched to English before he was rebuked by Deputy Speaker Ronald Kiandee.
Coming to the support of Rais, the deputy head of the National Professors Council’s Historical, Heritage and Sociocultural Cluster Prof Dr Yahaya Ibrahim had also described Chong’s action as “rude and illegal”.
Rude may be subject to one’s interpretation, but “illegal” it certainly wasn’t! Yahaya should perhaps brush up his “history” on the Constitution of Malaysia 1957 – where it is written and enshrined for perpetuity the following clauses –
Part XIIA – Additional Protections for States of Sabah and Sarawak
Article 161
Clause 1 – No Act of Parliament terminating or restricting the use of the English language for any of the purposes mentioned in Clauses (2) to (5) of Article 152 shall come into operation as regards to the use of the English language in any case mentioned in Clause (2) of this article until ten years after Malaysia Day
Clause 2 (a) – Clause (1) applies –
-to the use of the English language in either House of Parliament by a member for or from the State of Sabah or Sarawak; and
-to the use of the English language for proceedings in the High Court in Borneo or in a subordinate court in the State of Sabah or Sarawak, or for such proceedings in the Supreme Court as are mentioned in Clause (4); and
-to the use of the English language in the State of Sabah or Sarawak in the Legislative Assembly or for other official purposes (including the official purposes of the Federal Government).
There you have it – in clear, precise and straightforward words – which shouldn’t be too troublesome for both Rais and Yahaya to understand. Maybe they have either forgotten about this conveniently or had chosen to arrogantly brush it aside – maybe the latter being the case!
Rais Yatim who was dropped from Najib’s Cabinet after GE13 but later appointed as the high sounding and newly created post of ‘socio-cultural advisor’ is no stranger to controversy.
In 2007, his name was linked to an alleged rape of an Indonesian maid during his tenure as the minister of information, communication and culture. The allegation was never proven but had left his reputation in tatters.
For a long time, since the rise and popularity of the Internet, online news portals also bore the brunt of many negative comments from Rais. His remarks were widely viewed as opposing freedom of expression in all fields of endeavour, including social behaviour, culture, and the arts.
During his tenure as culture minister, Rais had also censored with a heavy hand many international shows and concerts from performing in Malaysia due to reasons like “too much Zionist influence” or “behaviour unacceptable to Malaysians”.
One can only conclude that when he was dropped by Najib as a GE13 candidate, many Malaysians must have rejoiced.
A veteran politician like Rais Yatim and a “professor” like Dr Yahaya should have known better – to check the Malaysian Constitution first before making statements contrary to what had been clearly constituted.-The Ant Daily
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