YOURSAY 'We know its title but not too much of its contents/syllabus. So maybe we are too fast to accept and to reject Titas.'

Titas is about cross learning in a multicultural society

your say Cala: I am glad PKR's director of strategy and Pandan MP for Pandan Rafizi Ramli responded positively to the critiques of both Lim Teck Ghee and S Thayaparan . A good sign indeed.

From the response, Rafizi appears to accept that context matters when we talk about Islamic and Asian Civilisation Studies (Titas).

Why does context matter? If one were to consider a standard diagnostic framework for policy change, one learns that the quality of the outcome is influenced by micro-situational elements, and they are in turn, further nested by broader contextual elements.

Therefore, if the syllabus Titas had been put on the table, and the mannerism of its implementation clearly spelt out by Rafizi (for example), there should not be much fuss because the public at large have trust in the professionalism of the person formulating and implementing it.

Due to past track records however, the Umno-led BN regime is known not to possess such traits, hence a case of high ‘friction cost' in new institutional economic parlance.

Joker: Cross learning is indeed good but in Malaysia, when the government talks about being open, it generally only flows one way.

Give and take does not mean one party giving and the other taking all the time. But Rafizi, I understand where you come from.

It makes sense for PKR and PAS to support Titas. My only hope is that by the time Titas is fully implemented, you and gang will be in charge of the Education Ministry.

Hplooi: Rafizi's argument misses the trees by focusing too much on the forest. First remember this order from the government pertains to higher education and is targeted particularly at private universities.

As I have previously pointed out, at universities you are supposed to 'major' in a subject to become a doctor, lawyer, engineer or educator etc. The Lembaga Akreditasi Negara focuses on compliance with ‘core subjects'.

Currently (at least for engineering), complying just with core subjects is a problem, especially so for students from the matrikulasi stream where extra time have to be spent just to make up for deficit knowledge in college-level maths, which is supposed to be a prerequisite for entering a professional engineering course.

Therefore loading another compulsory core subject will cause maximum damage, especially pertaining to international marketability of Malaysian-degree programmes.

Imagine an engineer without adequate knowledge of engineering maths! It is already happening.

What4: Rafizi, can't we have that in the secondary school rather than universities or colleges where the focus should be on career courses?

SenyumUnta: Has the official copy being released? We know its title but not too much of its contents/syllabus.

So maybe we are too fast to accept and to reject Titas. But frankly, if Pakatan is the government of the day, then it would have been easier for me to accept it with much less suspicion. I am confident it would not even be titled ‘Islamic Civilisation'.

Taxpayer: You don't need rocket science to figure out what will be the contents in Titas, right? And the other thing is that it's going to be made a compulsory subject, regardless of the contents of Titas.

You (Rafizi), however, chose to go to a Christian Boarding School in Scotland for your A levels where you and your parents should know one of the routines was the morning Christian prayer.

You had a choice not to go to that boarding school, But do Malaysian students who cannot afford to study overseas, have a choice with Titas made a compulsory subject?

Democrat: There should be a choice and nothing should be forced upon us. The problem is the BN government here suffers from a trust deficit.

KB Menon: We need to know what the course content is before making rational comments on this issue. Hopefully the emphasis is on Asian civilisation and less on Islamic civilisation. Is Malay civilisation (?) being equated with Islamic civilisation?

It should cover all aspects of civilisation with religion being one component only.

Anyway, I am of the opinion that it should be an elective course, not compulsory for private universities. However, learning and understanding all civilisations would certainly be beneficial to all Malaysians.

MockingYou: Err, Malay civilisation? Where and which one? What script would they use if there was one? A sub-culture of the Indian civilisation is more like it. But I'm sure some PhD fellas (looking forward to that with relish!) could help us on this one.

Why not show the Titas text to all and sundry so that any cynicism/suspicion is dispelled. We voted Pakatan because we don't trust Umno-BN to do the job correctly.

No hard feelings Rafizi, you're an honest person coming clean openly so you'll still get my vote for the future of our young ones.

Kamikasi: I agree with Rafizi except that any academic discourse of this nature must take into consideration the various religious beliefs practised in this country.

And students must be taught that universal values cut across religious divides. Then only can we safely say that our students are aware of one another's religions and start to appreciate one another better.

Jaguh: I am from the baby boomer generation and my religious tolerance was learnt during my younger days in school mixing with friends of different cultures, visiting their homes and hence learning the differences at the same time.

Manners have thought me to be tolerant and know what to say and do when with them. These values cannot really be inculcated from books. It starts from the home with parents teaching and encouraging these values we so lack of today.

However, looking at our 'lost Malaysia' today, I guess this subject is a start, but it's our attitudes that have got to change.

Baiyuensheng: As a secular country, should we not leave the public institutions free from any religious practices or teaching?

My belief is that once you start (which has already happened) to introduce religious beliefs and practices into the system, there will be no satisfactory ending and contention between races will never end.

Can one also learn the faiths of others beside the Islamic faith? I think learning about Chinese, Indian and Malay civilisations is different from learning about religious civilisations. I agree cross learning is a must.

Mr KJ John: Congrats to Rafizi. Just the fact you are able to engage your detractors, says a lot about your position on issues and your willingness not only to speak but also listen to others.

My only question; why not label it as Understanding Asian Civilisations, and cover all the contents in a free and fair way? The problem is in the labeling, is it not?

Of the three civilisations, do you not think that the Islamic one is the youngest and newest?

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