Ismail: Okay to dispute MRSM 'Islamic rules'?
Still under fire for urging Malay consumers to boycott Chinese traders, cabinet minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today turned the tables on his critic DAP for questioning ruling affecting non-Muslim students in Mara Junior Colleges (MRSM).
Still under fire for urging Malay consumers to boycott Chinese traders, cabinet minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today turned the tables on his critic DAP for questioning ruling affecting non-Muslim students in Mara Junior Colleges (MRSM).
Implying hypocrisy, he lamented that Serian DAP concern over rulings which include a ban on students from bringing copies of the Bible to school is considered a human rights issue.
"Questioning Islamic rules in MRSM is not racist? It doesn’t hurt the feelings of Malays, bumiputera and Muslims? Oh, no. That is human rights," he said on Twitter yesterday.
Mempersoalkan peraturan islam di mrsm..bukan rasis? Tk menyentuh hati org melayu/bumi & islam? Oh no.. itu hak asasi pic.twitter.com/1kKjbODSp5
— Ismail Sabri (@IsmailSabri60) February 7, 2015
On Friday, DAP Serian chief Edward Andrew Luwak said Dayak parents have complained of their children are banned from bringing religious items to the residential colleges including crucifixes and bibles.
"These restrictions and guidelines are preventing the Dayak parents from sending their children to such colleges as they fear their children may be influenced by Islamic teachings," he said.
He said this is unreasonable given that the colleges are funded by taxpayers. MRSM is attended mostly by bumiputera students with a quota of below 10 percent for non-bumiputera students.
DAP, among others, had demanded Ismail Sabri’s resignation for saying a Facebook posting that Malays should boycott Chinese traders so that prices will go down.
Case closed?
The agriculture and agri-based industries minister later clarified that he only meant “stubborn” Chinese traders and that his call is a general one for consumers to use their power to pressure traders.
MCA Youth chief Chong Sin Woon questioned if he is fit to be minister while MCA president Liow Tiong Lai said it was “racist” and a “smear against the Chinese community”, prompting backlash from Umno division leaders.
After last Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office released a press statement saying that Ismail Sabri’s remark was a general remark and not targeting any race.
Despite PMO’s statement, Liow, who had vowed to fight for justice for the Chinese over the remark, said Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak understood MCA’s position and that Ismail Sabri should "know what to do".
Bsama @HishammuddinH2O & @liowtionglai semasa mnyambut ketibaan Presiden Indonesia - Joko Widodo. Hehe :) pic.twitter.com/rU2XDbJl8Z
— Ismail Sabri (@IsmailSabri60) February 5, 2015
Ismail Sabri on Thursday also tweeted a picture of him and Liow with wide smiles while waiting for Indonesian President Joko Widodo at KLIA2.
However, MCA still insists on an apology the minister refuses to give and says it will bring the matter up in cabinet again.
'End ban on non-Islamic activities in Mara schools'
