In a statement, Yong said the gap between national schools and vernacular schools must be reduced.

He said the principles of merit and equality should be applied to national schools to instil public confidence and encourage enrolment.

He said many parents were willing to send their children to national schools if the academic standards and quality of teachers were on a par with or better than those in vernacular schools.

Yong said he was supportive of the idea that gradually moving away from vernacular schools was the way forward in creating a more integrated Malaysian society.

“Malaysia’s rich diversity must be reflected in its education system.

“Different cultures and mother tongues are a common heritage that should be allowed to thrive and taught in all schools on an equal footing.”

He said the opportunity to learn vernacular languages should be provided in all schools.

This, he explained, should be done through the regular curriculum, with integrated trilingual teaching provided instead of extracurricular classes, as currently practised.

He also voiced support for the Organisation for National Empowerment’s call for English to be given equal emphasis as Bahasa Malaysia to enable the country to compete globally.