Penang state education director Osman Hussain has directed all schools in the state not to attend this year's Merdeka celebration organised by the DAP-led government.

The letter was issued to all schools yesterday.

Osman said all school heads, teachers and students are to wait for further instructions from him on the matter as he is consulting the Education Ministry.

"I sent out the letter because Penang has its own theme,which contradicts with the federal theme," Osman told Malaysiakini when contacted.

"The pr oblem is the word 'Bersih'. We have to wait for the greenlight from the ministry before we can attend," he added.

The Penang government's theme for the Merdeka celebration this year is ‘Bersih’ (Clean) instead of the federal government's ‘Malaysia, Sehati Sejiwa’ (One Heart, One Soul).

Osman ( photo ) also denied that he was ordering the schools to totally reject the state-organised celebration.

'The word Bersih is sensitive'

"It is not that I do not allow them to go for it. But we are under the Education Ministry at the federal level and this state belongs to the opposition," he said.

"The word ‘Bersih’ is sensitive, so we have to await the greenlight from the ministry before we can attend. If the ministry says okay, we will attend," Osman added.

Penang's Merdeka celebrations organising committee chairman Law Choo Kiang urged the state Education Department to be "professional" in the matter.

"Such a letter is not rational nor logical. The state Education Department should be professional about this," Law ( photo ) said.

"The department should be more interested in promoting patriotism in schools, instead of stopping them from attending the state celebrations," the Bukit Tambun assemblyperson said, adding, "Don't hurt our good relationships with all the schools."

Earlier, Penang Federal Action Council head Zainal Abidin Osman criticised the state for coming up with its own theme, saying said the celebration should focus on "national unity and solidarity, and not be politicised".

Bersih, the coalition for free and fair elections, will be organising mega rallies in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching on Aug 29-30 .

One of the demands it will raise at the rallies is to ask Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to step down and allow the RM2.6 billion 'donation' in his private bank accounts to be investigated by the authorities.

Meanwhile, Deputy Education Minister Chong Sin Woon also confirmed the issue of the letter to Penang schools by the state Education Department.

Asked by DAP Youth chief Teo Kok Seong on Twitter, Chong blamed the Penang government for politicising Merdeka Day by choosing the theme 'Bersih' instead of 'Malaysia, Sehati Sejiwa'.

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