Politicians have been taken to task - by fellow-politicians among others - for actions that negate moves to promote national integration among Malaysians, as well as to instill moral values in youth.

MCA Youth chief Ong Tee Keat told a forum on 'Moral education and national integration' that many politicians may have appeared "cynical" when speaking on certain issues.

"I deplore the fact that, in the name of championing an ethnic-based cause, they play to the gallery. This does not do us any good.," he told some 100 participants during a panel session.

He said politicians should refrain from exploiting issues as "over-zealous" ones may be contributing to their own downfall.

"However, people are also allowing politicians to make decisions and have failed to see their own role in (preventing) this," said Ong, who is deputy youth and sports minister.

Another panelist, MIC central working committee member Komala Devi echoed the sentiment.

"Some find it very sexy to champion a certain issue because, unfortunately, they will be hailed as a hero for the community," said Komala, who is parliamentary secretary in the education ministry.

Review segregation

The day-long forum last Friday featured two panel discussions - the first to debate moral education and the other to discuss national integration and its future direction.

Educationist and social activist FR Bhupalan, who spoke about moral education in schools, criticised politicians for not displaying appropriate moral values for the younger generation to emulate.

Bhupalan, who is with the National Council of Women Organisation - an umbrella body for 115 women's groups - singled out a controversial remark by Barisan Nasional parliamentarian Badruddin Amiruldin during recent parliamentary debate.

"Politicians should be good role models. But when they say '(this is an Islamic state), if anyone doesn't like, just get out of this country' - this is the role model that is being supplied instead to our young people," she noted.

Bhupalan, who was in the teaching profession for 35 years, suggested review of the practice of segregating Muslim and non-Muslim students for moral education classes.

She said all students should learn about one another's religions together, as this could be used as a platform for increasing interaction.

At present, Muslim schoolchildren go for religious studies, while non-Muslims attend moral education class.

Double standards

Educationist Sharifah Fatmah Syed Mohammed Alhabshi, who spoke from the floor, commented that politicians make "lousy" role models in promoting national integration.

"Politicians are most guilty of double standards. They shout about national integration but the moment a Malay man is cast as a rude character in the LRT television advertisement, they raise a hue and cry about this," she said, referring to a government-sponsored courtesy campaign.

Sharifah is the principal assistant director at the education ministry's curriculum development centre. She was also among those in the first panel.

Another participant, lawyer Haris Ibrahim who also spoke from the floor, suggested that all parliamentarians be made to undergo a compulsory civics and citizenship course. His suggestion was greeted with a round of applause.

Panels also said the government is giving out ' mixed signals ' in its efforts to promote national integration because a number of its policies run contrary to this objective.

The forum was jointly organised by the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre and the Germany-based Konrad Adenauer Foundation.