Y OURSAY ‘Wrong for minister to say gov’t can’t act on private publication.’

MP: SPM model paper has racial conflict posers

Bystander: Did the Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin actually say that there was nothing much the government could do if the publication was private and did not come from the ministry?

If true, then I am flabbergasted at what half­past­six ministers we have in this country. Can't they probe the editor and investigate why the racial connotation? Was it necessary? What is the Sedition Act for? Doesn’t it look like selective prosecution?

The Reaper: What kind of deputy prime minister do we have? Passing the buck again, instead of managing an issue that is full of racial provocation. Go resign, if you cannot handle a simple issue like this.

Abasir: Perhaps if the model question paper had a topic urging the Chinese to burn the Quran, Muhyuddin would not claim to "be powerless to rectify the problem if the publication was private and did not come from the ministry."

MrM: Oh, come on. It is an SPM paper not a UPSR paper. I would like for once, the questions to challenge students on difficult issues like racial conflict and intermarriage.

I see nothing wrong with the passage from the paper. How is it racial? It sounds like a Chinese girl (Mei­Mei) is reminiscing about her past Malay boyfriend (Hisyam) whom she lost due to racial conflict.

This is a mature topic suitable for SPM students ­ it’s good to make our students think. Grow up please.

Drngsc: Muhyiddin, you can surely ban the book. What do you mean there is nothing that you can do?

If this is a book, promoting Christianity and putting Malays in bad light, I am sure that it would have been banned even before the printing machine was warmed up.

Shark: Just withdraw the publishing licence ­ if the government has no power, then who has the power to stop a seditious article? This shows that the government is biased even in schoolwork.

Mosquitobrain: Try harder, deputy prime minister cum education minister. You're doing Prime Minister Najib a disservice.

Anonymous_1399517796: Muhyiddin, you as education minister, say you are powerless?? If the topics concern Islam and Malays, you won't say you are powerless.

Myop101: So when it comes to bibles and such, the ministry has the power and will to seize it but when it comes to private publications on racial issues that paints others badly, they are powerless? We will know what to do, come GE14.

Hopeless: Can I publish something privately and have racial undertones in my publication?

Jstom: "Powerless"? Hello, have you heard of the Sedition Act?

Observer: Saiful backers teens with 'pro' banners

Truth1: Look at the posters they carry, all professionally produced and grammatically correct, and then you look at their faces and you know that they are all stooges. Where can dropout cases like these have the money and language skills to come up with those posters?

Mohgui: When it was mentioned that the banners were professionally done, it meant that it were printed commercially. By looking at the banners, one could tell the obvious. Do you really think those teenagers would spend their own pocket money to have these banners printed commercially? Come on, they would have just scribbled on whiteboards.

Blackmoon: International observer Mark Trowell is an idiot. He thinks Malaysians are illiterates and unable to produce effective banners.

Maybe in the country where he came from, the youngsters are all dumb.

Hmmmmmmmm: Next time these youngsters come out, their posters will be handmade. Mark my words.

Lee Hup: Whoever came out with the ‘Rakyat Hakim Negara’ strategy and theme that was heavily promoted with a series of roadshows and online propaganda prior to Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy II final appeal?

Well, whoever came out with it has failed as the ‘Rakyat Hakim’ crowds supporting Anwar at Putrajaya continues to plummet ­ from 100 people last Friday to 50 people on the fifth day of Anwar's trial. The ‘Keadilan for Anwar’ and ‘Reformasi’ propaganda does not seem to work anymore.

Hang Tuah PJ: Since the placards are in English, ask them to interpret them in Bahasa Malaysia. See whether they get it right. How about some reporter going over to one of these teenagers and query them on the case?

See if they can make a coherent reply. This would prove these are paid lackeys.

Clongviews: It’s a joke that they are not paid. They are willing to sacrifice their time, money and roast under the sun for Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, a nobody?

Alfanso: Government people supporting a gay. Very good. No worries LGBT's. Good indication that the government is supportive.

Justice Pao: Jobless youths with plenty of time to spare going all out to support a liar and slanderer and yet saying that they are not paid, who are these bunch of morons trying to kid?

Matthias Schilling: I would like to ask these supporters, how much they get an hour to do the protest? And what is their 'awareness' regarding the case of Anwar? Surely they have no idea at all. Anyway, money is power.

_______________________________________________________

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.