KUALA LUMPUR: The government will discuss how current requirements set for Tamil to be taught as an additional language in secondary schools can be relaxed.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the current condition requires a minimum of 15 students for a Tamil language class to be held.
He said he will discuss the matter with Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
"I will alert and suggest the Ministry of Education make the necessary adjustments, although if we set the condition (number) to 10, we should allow nine or 11 students also.
"(This is) just to allow students to master an additional language. In schools around the world, like the United States and China, people encourage students to master two or more languages which means in this case for Indian students, to master Bahasa Melayu, English and Tamil. I think it's an advantage for Malaysia to have students who master more languages," he said.
Anwar was delivering his keynote address at the 11th Tamil Research Conference in Universiti Malaya today.
Also present were co-chairman of the conference V. Sivakumar, who is also Human Resource Minister and MIC deputy president Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.
Meanwhile, Anwar also announced that the government will channel a total of RM5 million to the Indian community to enhance Tamil language in the country.
"Through this, RM1 million will be allocated for the conference, RM2 million for the Tamil study and research department of Universiti Malaya and another RM2 million for teaching and learning materials for schools under the ministry."
He noted that the allocation did not necessarily mean that the government was sidelining Bahasa Melayu, only that it was advocating students to master more than two languages.
"In this age, mastery of language is important. In most elite schools around the world, they encourage students to master two or more languages.
"However, people will twist and say that we are sidelining the Malay language for the Tamil language when they don't like us.
"This is what divides us. We have also approved hundred millions of ringgit in allocation for the development of Bahasa Melayu."