Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid has been challenged to reveal those behind allegedly politically-slanted SPM examination questions, and to state if he had a hand in the fiasco.

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said in a statement today that Mahdzir should also inform the public if the officers responsible would be punished for such an “irresponsible conduct”.

Lim condemned what he described as a blatant attempt to brainwash students with politically-loaded questions on "anti-government rallies" in this year’s SPM moral education paper, as reported by Malaysiakini yesterday.

"(The questions) involved a not-so-subtle attempt to tell lies and demonise protest gatherings as anti-government and anti-national, even suggesting that those who participate in them are not high-minded idealists but 'mercenaries'," he said.

Noting that students were not allowed to remove the question paper from the examination hall, Lim urged Mahdzir to make public the said paper.

"(Let) parents and the people judge for themselves whether the questions were appropriate and suitable - like the 'absurd' question which asked candidates what were the positive effects of queueing up to collect water during a water supply cut," said Lim.

"Why vilify civil society groups as anti-government and anti-national, as well as subtly spread lies and falsehoods, when moral education should inculcate students with good virtues instead of being ‘brainwashing' courses?" he asked.

'Second major scandal'

An SPM candidate had complained to Malaysiakini that the government appeared to be trying to brainwash students through the moral education paper and indoctrinate them, so that they would not participate in political activities.

Recalling the question from memory, the student said candidates for the paper were asked to answer questions based on a notice and a picture, alluding that participation in "anti-government" rallies is an immoral activity.

Lim pointed out that this is the second scandal involving the Education Ministry, in less than three months since Mahdzir succeeded Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin.

"The first is the tragedy of the seven Orang Asli students of SK Tohoi in Gua Musang, who went missing for some 50 days, ending with five dead and two alive.

"Even up to now, Mahdzir has not been able to restore the confidence of the Orang Asli people in Gua Musang in the education system as more than 50 percent of the Orang Asli parents have refused to send their children back to the school because of their safety concerns, especially in Kampung Penad, Gawin, Simpor and Rekom," he said.