The Dual Language Programme is set to be implemented at 300 national schools this year, giving students the option to study several subjects in English or Bahasa Malaysia. ― File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 ― A coalition of Malay activist and education groups are planning two rallies to protest the implementation of the Dual Language Programme (DLP) in national schools.

Professor Emeritus Shaharir Mohamad Zain, chairman of the Gerakan Mansuh PPSMI group, said a preliminary protest will be held at the end of this month, with a larger one that includes supporters from out of state planned for the next month.

“We will have a protest on March 26 and will apply to the authorities to march from Sogo mall to Dataran Merdeka for the one in KL. For those who wanted to come to KL from other states, we planned to hold a bigger one on April 9,” he told reporters here.

“We stated before that if there is no positive development from the government by end of February, we will continue with protests against DLP.”

Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim) secretary-general Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz said that they expect around 5,000 people to attend the first rally and over 20,000 for the second.

National Education Action Council chairman Datuk Zainal Abidin Borhan claimed that Malay students would be “victimised” by the DLP.

“Tyranny happens when Malay students are being forced to study several subjects in English,” he said.

The DLP is set to be implemented at 300 national schools this year, giving students the option to study several subjects in English or Bahasa Malaysia.