The Federal Constitution does not safeguard the establishment of vernacular schools in Malaysia, the Court of Appeal heard today.

Counsel Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla, who is acting for three groups - Federation of Peninsular Malay Students (GPMS), Majlis Pembangunan Pendidikan Islam Malaysia (Mappim), and Coalition of National Writers’ Associations (Gapena) - submitted that the High Court in Kuala Lumpur had erred in interpreting the supreme law of the land.

During the hearing of the three group’s appeal before the three-person appellate court bench chaired by Supang Lian, Haniff contended that then High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali erred...