4 theSun | WEDNESDAY JUNE 24 2009

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Teaching and learning of science and mathematics in English

Bar sends memo to Nazri
on arrest of five lawyers
THE Bar Council has submitted a
memorandum to Minister in the
Bersih (an election watchdog) activist
Wong Chin Huat.
Decision next month,
says Muhyiddin
Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Regunath said the council would
Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz to register its proceed with legal action against
dissatisfaction over the arrest of five the government, Inspector-General
lawyers who offered legal aid to those of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan and
arrested in a candlelight vigil last Brickfields police officer ASP Wan
month. Abdul Bahari Wan Khalid for
Bar Council president K. Ragunath unlawful arrest.
said: “We demand an assurance from Nazri, who is the de facto law Husna Yusop and Giam Say Khoon at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday
the prime minister that the rule of law minister, said he would study the
will be respected and that protocol memorandum and act within areas A DECISION on the policy command of English be- tories. The suitable facilities
should be implemented to ensure that that come under his portfolio, namely of teaching and learning of tween students who followed and tools will be provided
suspects or detainees have access to legal affairs and judicial reform. Bar Council science and mathematics the PPSMI since 2003 and the to meet this purpose,” he
legal counsel. He also said a copy of the memo- members led in English (PPSMI) will be previous years, we found lit- added.
“Access to lawyers is an important randum would be forwarded to Home by Ragunath known early next month, tle difference. The percentage Other measures include
aspect of the criminal justice system. Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin hand over a says Deputy Prime Minister of improvement was quite to:
Arresting lawyers who are carrying Hussein on areas involving the police memorandum Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. nominal at between 2% and
out their duties is a great travesty of force. to Nazri. “It will be a decision 3% only. » increase the teaching
justice,” he told benefiting both teachers and “The reason for this is the hours for English;
reporters after schoolchildren as well as the moderate level of English » add more content to the
a meeting with country’s future. A compre- proficiency, especially among English syllabus;
Nazri in Parlia- hensive analysis and a paper the teachers. Another prob-
ment. on the direction of PPSMI lem is, a teacher with a good » increase the number of
Ragunath also have been completed and command of English may qualified English teachers in
called on the will be presented very soon not be an expert in teaching rural schools; and
police to respect
the rule of law.
to the cabinet for final ap- science and mathematics and » engage the service of
proval,” he said in reply to a vice versa,” he added. foreign English teachers.
On May 7, five question from Dr Tan Seng Muhyiddin said the In Parliament lobby,
lawyers from the Giaw (DAP-Kepong). government has decided on Pakatan Rakyat MPs said the
Kuala Lumpur Muhyiddin, who is also several moves to improve government should not con-
Legal Aid Centre education minister, told Tan the teaching and learning of tinue to victimise students
were detained the government had to take English in schools. with a policy that had failed.
overnight in the some time to evaluate the Among others, the Datuk Mahfuz Omar
Brickfields police implications of the policy ministry was considering (PAS-Pokok Sena) said the
headquarters from various angles and introducing an English PPSMI should be abolished
when they tried think of ways to improve the Literature subject in schools while Khalid Samad (PAS-
to offer legal aid overall education system. and giving more emphasis Shah Alam) claimed the
to those held He said in coming up on grammar to improve the policy was implemented
while holding a with a decision, the main students’ quality in terms of without any proper study.
candlelight vigil factor to be looked into was writing and speaking in the “It is obvious that they
over the arrest of the English proficiency level language. were not prepared for this
of teachers and students and “In addition, the ministry and have not taken into
according to research, their will also upgrade the func- account the implications and
command of the language tion of school laboratories repercussions. Don’t use our
was still at a moderate level. nationwide so that they can children as guinea pigs,” said
“When we compare the be used as language labora- Khalid.

DNA Identification Bill passed

KUALA LUMPUR: The controversial DNA Identi-
fication Bill 2008 was passed with amendments
yesterday.
Marked by a ferocious debate at the policy
stage last year, the bill was passed with nine
amendments after a two-day debate at the com-
mittee stage.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Se-
man Yusop said the amendments, among others,
included Clause 7 on a provision to replace police
officers as Forensic DNA chief, deputy chief and
officers.
The bill stipulates that the posts of Forensic
DNA chief, deputy chief and officers tasked with
administering and managing the DNA Data Bank
would be filled by members of the public, who are
qualified and experienced in DNA science.
“This is aimed at casting our net further to
entice qualified people to manage the DNA Data
Bank,” he said when tabling and winding-up
debate on the amendments.
The Dewan Rakyat also passed an amendment
to Clause 13(7) that enable a person, who refused
to allow a non-intimate sample from being taken,
to be charged.
Previously, a sub-clause stated that a police
officer could use any means to get or assist in
obtaining a non-intimate sample.
Two other clauses were deleted. They were
Clause 14 on fines and jail term on a person refus-
ing to hand in a non-intimate sample and Clause
24 that stated the DNA Data Bank information
must be accepted as conclusive proofs on DNA
identification in court proceedings.
Abu Seman said the amendments were in line
with proposals submitted by non-government
organisations and members of the House during
a debate at the policy stage.
However, changes suggested by several
members of the Houses including from Teo Nie
Ching (DAP-Serdang), Dr Mohd Hatta Md
Ramli (PAS-Kuala Krai), Dr Michael Jeyakumar
Devaraj (PSM-Sungai Siput) and Lim Lip Eng
(DAP-Segambut) were dismissed.
The bill, which was tabled for the second
reading in August last year, will pave the way
for the formation of the DNA Data Bank, taking
and safekeeping of DNA samples, analysis of
DNA samples and the use of DNA samples for
humanitarian purposes.
It will empower the police to take DNA sam-
ples from any crime suspects and to make the
samples as sources of reference to solve future
cases. – Bernama

MACC mum on PKFZ probe

ALTHOUGH Malaysian
Anti-Corruption Commission
(MACC) chief Datuk Seri Ah-
mad Said Hamdan attended
the Public Accounts Commit-
tee (PAC) inquiry into the Port
Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scan-
dal, the MACC remains mum
on the status of its probe.
Although there was no
press conference after the
one-hour meeting, PAC
committee member William
Leong (PKR-Selayang), when
met in the Parliament lobby,
told reporters the MACC had
informed the PAC that the
PKFZ issue was still under
investigation and it was not
obliged to brief the PAC on the
progress of its probe.
“The MACC told us Section
29 of the MACC Act 2008 does
not allow the commission
to disclose any information
about the investigation to us,”
he said.
Leong said he was
disappointed with the reply
by MACC because a report
was made in 2004 by Selangor
executive councillor Ronnie
Liu and investigations were
closed as no offences were
found.
He said the MACC re-in-
vestigated the case in 2007
and until now, the scandal
is still under probe although
the PricewaterhouseCoopers
(PwC) and the Auditor-
General’s reports had been
produced.
“This creates much con-
cern as to how MACC is car-
rying out its investigations. We
hope that it will carry out its
job professionally without fear
or favour, so that the culprits
can be brought to book,” he
said.