The Terengganu Education Department’s action to allow schools without Indian teachers and students to bring the Deepavali holiday forward for a longer Hari Raya school break is a great concern. The measure will create conflicts rather than benefit the schools and community.

We believe that the intention to provide an option for a longer festive break is meaningless if it taken from another festival holiday. This will lead to confusion among students and teachers involved and is a sensitive racial issue.

The authorities may argue that it only applies to schools without Indian teachers and students. But once a precedent is set, the authorities cannot stop similar requests from other schools to arrange specific breaks for other religious and racial festivals to their liking.

Whether it is Hari Raya or Deepavali, the core value of festivals is for the people irrespective of races to celebrate each other’s festivals together and share the happiness, hence enhancing inter-racial harmony. If all races only keep to their own selves and cannot bother about others, it will lead to racial segregation, conflicts and racial disharmony. We urge the relevant authority to withdraw this controversial directive.

TOH CHIN YAW is Terengganu MCA state liaison committee chairperson and MCA central committee member.