LETTER | I am so sorry. After reading his article on school shoes, I actually checked the status of Dr Ko Chung Sen, the state assemblyperson for Kepayang, just to make sure he is ‘real’. I guess Pakatan Harapan representatives now too have the luxury of time to talk about “nothing”.

I really can’t imagine his defence for the black shoes proposal could be carried to such a ridiculous level.

It could be true that it is easier to stain a pair of white shoes. It could be true white shoes need more regular washing.

However, black shoes could appear 'cleaner' but fungi and odour could be plentiful. Do we find hotels providing black towels and black bed sheets? Should we just camouflage everything? I think black shoes need regularly washing too.

I really have problem accepting the argument that washing a pair of shoes once a week will affect the study time of students or will irreparably affect the environment.

Sometimes letting tapwater running every morning (I am not saying we should do this) while brushing our teeth could have wasted more water than washing a pair of shoes once a week.

Similarly, what is the big deal if students 'waste' half an hour washing their own shoes, given how many hours they might spend on smartphones indulging in mindless chatting and surfing.

You know what, discarded smartphones have wider environmental implicationsthan washing a pair of shoes every week.

From what I have read so far, I think no one really has criticised the black shoes proposal harshly. The issue is about implementation, not whether the shoes should be black or white.

If indeed change is needed, it is the proper implementation to ensure adequate stocks and reasonable pricing that most parents are concerned with.  

Contrary to initial announcement, I think the Education Minister has taken heed of the comments from the public. As long as implementation is “phased in”, I guess there is really no further issue. What is in the colour really?

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.