She said the ministry had taken on board a suggestion by Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh recently for the government to do so, Bernama reported.

Fadhlina said any decision to revamp the education system must be based on provisions in the Education Act 1996.

“We hear those views, but as of today, the ministry stands firm on upholding the Act.

“As I have stressed before, vernacular schools are recognised by the Education Act, and we will uphold that,” she told reporters at SK Saujana Putra in Kuala Langat today.

Last week, Akmal called for the government to conduct a detailed evaluation of vernacular schools.

He said it was Umno Youth’s view that racial tension stemmed from segregation in the nation’s education system.

“It is time for Malaysia to put an end to this segregation and division,” he said.

“There is no shortcut to achieve unity. It is a long, winding and challenging road, but it begins with a single step.”