The history curriculum panel’s scope of work must be expanded to review the nation’s history as a whole and to get the facts right, before SPM students are compelled to pass the subject.

NONE PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar, in making the call at a press conference today, said the committee should look into general questions of history.

"According to our history books, we were colonised. But now, according to the Malaysian Professors Council, we were not colonised. This is confusing to our students," he said.

Sociology professor Zainal Kling had last week said the country was never colonised, a claim that former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamed echoed based on a ‘technical’ interpretation.

"Mahathir said that we were not colonised, that the Rajas had invited the colonial masters for management but they ended up giving orders,” noted Mahfuz.

"This concerns the institution (of the monarchy). Some say this is an insult, suggesting that the Rajas were pak turut (Yes-men) to the colonial masters.”

The 10-member panel was set up earlier this year to review the history curriculum ahead of a move to make it compulsory for students to pass the subject in 2013, to get a SPM certificate.

However, Mahfuz suggested that the committee be replaced with an independent panel set up under the auspices of Parliament.

NONE Mahfuz further commented on Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin’s proposal that history experts in universities should study facts related to the coming of Islam to Malaya.

"If, even in the context of the coming of Islam there are hidden facts, what more with the country's history of independence... (so) they should also look (into this)," he said.

Khaled (right) had made the call on Sept 9, following the launch of a book entitled ‘Historical Fact and Fiction’ by Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas, saying that many historical facts on Islam had been derived from western sources.

‘Questionable tax’

On a separate issue, Mahfuz said the government should abolish the six percent tax to be imposed on the prepaid mobile phone service.

"The government has to take responsibility. How can it (come up with) a policy that imposes service taxes on users even before the service is rendered? Any form of service tax for prepaid payment is not right," he said.

He acknowledged that the government had struck an agreement with telcos to shelve the service tax but said that, in principle, the companies could absorb the amount.

"Note that the announcement was a postponement, not a cancellation. After the general election, the tax will surely be implemented, just like the Good and Services Tax," he said.

He said the government should clarify if the government has exempted the telcos from the tax as the result of the negotiation.