KUALA KUBU BARU: Pas information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari has rebutted claims suggesting his party opposes vernacular schools in Malaysia, asserting instead that it was the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition that politicised the issue during the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election campaign.

Ahmad Fadhli clarified Pas' stance on vernacular schools, saying that they were not viewed as contentious by his party. 

He highlighted the educational background of PH's candidate, Pang Sock Tao, who attended Chinese vernacular primary and secondary schools, contrasting it with their PN candidate's local education.

"To us, vernacular schools are not a contentious issue. However, during the campaign, we highlighted that the PH candidate did not receive her primary or secondary education in Kuala Kubu Baru, unlike our candidate from Perikatan Nasional (PN)," he said in a PN campaign speech here, last night.

He emphasised that Pas did not oppose the existence of vernacular schools but suggested room for discussion on potential reforms, particularly regarding the curriculum. 

This stance was articulated amid discussions triggered by social media users questioning PN candidate Khairul Azhari's academic credentials, which then led Pas to challenge Pang to disclose her SPM and UPSR results.

Responding to concerns raised by DAP publicity secretary Teo Nie Ching about potential racial tensions, Ahmad Fadhli reiterated that the issue revolved around locality rather than academic achievements, emphasising the significance of candidates having deep roots within the Kuala Kubu Baru society.

"The issue lies in locality, not the number of As obtained in SPM. The concern is where you received your education, indicating that our candidate has deeper roots within the KKB society," he said.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/05/1046458/local-roots-matter-pas-highlights-importance-candidates-connection-kkb