This year's SPM moral education examination caused controversy, due to a question asking students why they shouldn't oppose the government. However, if you are the exam candidate, what would your answers be?

Malaysiakini asked several academicians and politicians this very question to see how they reply, and received a good dose of biting sarcasm.

Those who took up the challenge were Universiti Malaya law lecturer Azmi Sharom, Penang Institute fellow Wong Chin Huat, Gerakan vice-president Dominic Lau, PKR vice-president Mohd Rafizi Ramli and DAP's Bilut assemblyperson Chow Yu Hui.

Although the SPM examination is yet to conclude, an SPM student complained to Malaysiakini about a question regarding "anti-government rallies" in the Nov 17 examination paper.

Since examination rules bar candidates from taking the question papers with them out of the examination hall, the student recalled from memory that the question requires candidates to base their answers on a notice and a picture.

The notice states that civil servants are not allowed to participate in anti-government protests; the picture is of two students speaking to each other.

Student A is putting up a poster promoting an anti-government rally, saying that he would receive RM100 after he finishes putting up the posters. Student B advises Student A against doing so.

The questions:

(a) Why should students not participate in anti-government rallies?

(b) How should schools prevent students from participating in anti-government rallies?

(c) We should support Student B's stance. Why?

Here are the responses from those academicians and politicians.

(a) Why students should not participate in anti-government rallies?

Azmi: Because the government is scared of them.

Wong: Because there is no such thing as an 'anti-government' rally. In a democracy, the people are the boss. When the bosses gather to talk to their employees, or even sack their employees, they are not 'anti-worker'.

Lau: Students are banned from participating in any political rally.

Rafizi: Because the government is good; it introduced the goods and services tax (GST) that everyone loves.

Chow: Because the students should learn to be grateful to the government. Without government, there is no school; without school, there are no teachers; without teachers, there are no students. So, to appreciate our great government, we cannot oppose it.

(b) How should schools prevent students from participating in anti-government rallies?

Azmi: Lobotomise the students.

Wong: If schools understand that "anti-government rallies" are a ridiculous notion that doesn't exist in a democracy, what is there to prevent?

Lau: Schools should ban any political rally.

Rafizi: Schools should be closed all the time to stop people from participating in rallies, in the same way schools were closed during the haze. If schools can be closed because of haze, why can't they be closed to stop demonstrations?

Chow: If schools don't enrol students, naturally, there won't be any anti-government students.

(c) We should support Student B's stance. Why?

Azmi: Because one day he will be Minister of Home Affairs.

Wong: If we smoke marijuana, we can even support Student B without any reason.

Lau: Because we should not support political activities for financial benefit.

Rafizi: Because Student B will one day grow up to be a good person, who will get a RM2.6 billion donation, which he can use to help others.

Chow: If you participate, you would only get RM100, but if you don't, you would get a 1Malaysia book voucher every year. Which one is worth more?

Note: The book vouchers programme amounts to RM250 per student, and is for tertiary-level students.

There is also a RM100 schooling assistance per student for primary and secondary school students, but starting next year, this will be limited only to students from households earning less than RM3,000 a month.

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