We have been 'un1Malaysian' as the country prepares to celebrate its 53rd independence day in a little over a week, lamented an opposition leader.

“Never had Malaysia been so divided, discordant and un1Malaysia ... with persistent, irresponsible and inflammatory incitement of the politics of race and religion in recent months to stoke racial and religious animosity and hatred in plural Malaysia,” said DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang.

He said that even the schools are not spared with reported cases of the racist outbursts against school children - one in Kulai, Johor and the other in Sungai Petani, Kedah.

teoh beng hock memorial night 160710 kit siang According to Lim, the school principals - who should be the ‘role models’ and standard-bearers of 1Malaysia - are themselves pouring contempt on the concept mooted by Prime Minister Najib Razak.

It was reported this week that a Sungai Petani secondary school principal had allegedly accused non-Muslim students of "disrespecting" the fasting month of Ramadan.

As the school cafeteria was closed for the fasting month, non-Muslim students brought their own food for breakfast.

But the sight of a group of them having breakfast at the canteen - a common area - had apparently raised the principal's ire.

Later, at the school assembly, the principal was alleged to have said that the Chinese students - comprising 10 percent of the student population of 780 - had been disrespectful and that "they should go back to China".

It was claimed that when the assembly was over, another teacher approached the Chinese students to say sarcastically that they should take an AirAsia flight since its fares were cheap.

Malaysians in Proton Saga

A week earlier, another school principal in Kulai had allegedly asked "Chinese students to go back to China", and likening the Hindu prayer bracelet to a dog leash.

secondary school students In a speech during the launch of the school's Merdeka celebration, she had also "reminded" the non-Malay students of their place in the country.

She had allegedly given the example of owning a Proton Saga and then letting 'Munusamy' and 'Chong' in as passengers.

"Munusamy and Chong are only passengers. They cannot claim any right to the car. This is the same as Malaysia in which the non-Malay students are passengers," wrote a 16-year-old student in his police report on what the principal had said.

Lim said that Najib can forget about his soon-to-launched Talent Corporation and the other “grandiloquent transformation initiatives” of New Economic Model and the Tenth Malaysia Plan.

“Najib say goodbye to both foreign and domestic investment as well as Vision 2020 of a high-income developed nation if he cannot stop extremist forces from within his own camp who are dangerously exploiting  the politics of race and religion from  rearing their ugly heads.”