By Kasthuri Jeevendran

KUALA LUMPUR – The khat writing scheduled to be introduced to all national and vernacular schools, including the national type schools (SJK) next year continues to receive criticisms, even from the pro-government groups.

Famous cartoonist, Zunar, who is well known for his political satire expressed his displeasure on the introduction of khat writing by the Ministry of Education in his latest creation.

The expression is presented in a huge beautiful cake where Zunar or Zukiflee Anwar Haque. Despite adding an icing on the cake, the base was seen to be rotten with plenty of issues inscribed on it.

Among the issues written on the base of the cake include; students are sacrificed for politics, produces students who memorises well without quality, system which leads to racial rift, rotten education system, race comes first. The icing on the cake on the other hand, was adorned with ‘khat writing’.

In the meaningful sketch, Zunar has painted the glaring problems in the current national education system which remain unresolved and at the same time, it is creating new issues.

The cartoon receives thousands of likes and comments from the people who agreed with Zunar’s opinion on the issue.

The Ministry of Education explained yesterday that the khat writing will be added as an additional content in the artistic aspect of the Malay language. According to the ministry it would enrich the students with the knowledge of arts, heritage and history of Bahasa Melayu.

This morning, the former Minister of International Trade and Industry and former UMNO Women Chief, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said that the proposal is ‘absurd’ and the khat writing should be made as an elective subject and not incorporated into a core subject.

“As far as I know, khat is not a language, subject or anything. It is a calligraphy, just like the Chinese calligraphy of connecting alphabets or words, which becomes graphical.

“It is an art. The question here is, do they (Ministry of Education) want to make it compulsory of elective? As an elective subject, there should be no problem as people are interested in fine arts like this.

“Please do not make it compulsory and burdening for the students. Do not add on to more problems. Making calligraphy compulsory for all students is the most absurd thing to do.

“There are more things we need to learn. If they want to introduce it, make it elective and we will welcome it,” she said. -MalaysiaGazette

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