A former Gerakan state exco member has expressed shock that several quarters are asserting tha NONE t the controversial newsletter MyBalikPulau has writings that insult the Malays.

Toh Kin Woon ( right ), who was in charge of education in the Penang BN government up to March 2008, said he found it "objectionable" that Pulau Betong assemblyperson Muhammad Farid Saad and several Malay groups see the illustrations in the booklet as offensive.

"I have personally gone through the newsletter and find nothing substantiating their allegations," said Toh, the former Machang Bubok assemblyperson.

"On the contrary, it is a well-researched document, containing writings of the talented young of all ethnic communities and based on their oral history," added the chairperson of the LLG Cultural and Development Centre.

Toh said this at a press conference in Penang today to clarify matters related to the controversial newsletter published by an NGO, Arts-Ed, headed by academician Janet Pillai.

Umno and several Malay NGOs have thrown scorn at the booklet, with 15 police reports lodged and rallies organised against it.

pulau betong adun muhammad farid saad pc on my balik pulau newsletter 060211 01 Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has denied that the current state government was involved in the publication of My Balik Pulau and has initiated legal action against Muhammad Farid ( right ).

According to Toh, Arts-Ed, which was launched in 1999, is one of several initiatives undertaken by the then Penang Education Consultative Council (PECC), which he chaired from 1997 to March 2008.

Two projects were already identified by Arts-Ed for approval, funding and implementation during Toh's tenure as PECC chairperson under this heritage education project - Anak-Anak Kota and MyBalikPulau , which Toh launched in Balik Pulau in 2006.

The newsletter has also received funding from the Penang Tourism Action Council and DiGi during the previous government's tenure.

Having worked with Janet at PECC, Toh said the standard of the arts in the state of Penang has been raised as a result of the work of Janet and her team.

This would not have been possible had they just relied on the formal school system, which has long neglected the arts, he said.

NONE Unesco has also acknowledged Janet's work by inviting her to conduct regional workshops to train trainers in arts-ed, he said.

"I once again stress that the MyBalikPulau project is a heritage appreciation project covering heritage trails, photography and oral history by young schoolchildren from all ethnic communities, which was initiated, launched and funded by the PECC under the previous state government," Toh said.

"The present state government is not involved. Those who have accused Arts-Ed and the current Penang government of having insulted the Malays through the publication have been most unfair to the many who have come forward voluntarily to serve the cause of education in the state.

Hurting feelings of students involved

"They have also hurt the feelings of the many students who have put in so much effort in the production of MyBalikPulau ."

NONE Meanwhile, a group of 55 arts, heritage and civil society organisations based in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, as well as 12 individuals, have condemned the "harassment and politicking" around the community arts project.

In an endorsement letter distributed at the press conference, the group said the Arts-Ed publication "is a showcase of the collective efforts" of the Balik Pulau children and the NGO's facilitators.

"Arts-Ed and the children involved in the MyBalikPulau project should be praised and supported, but instead they are being ridiculed and threatened," they lamented. "Lodging 15 police reports is systematic harassment, amounting to bullying."

The group said the real threats came from "divisive race politics and irresponsible politicians" who did not care for freedom of expression, social justice and democracy in Malaysia.