Amid rising tensions over Jawi lessons at vernacular schools, proponents Education Ministry and critics the United Chinese School Committees’ Association (Dong Zong) have come forth to explain their respective stances.

Admitting that learning Jawi back in school did not convert him to Islam, Dong Zong secretary-general Ng Chai Heng explained that there was significant fear among his members that the move would “Islamise” students.

“There is no fear of Jawi, that is wrong. It is actually the fear to be Islamised,” he said...