YOURSAY | ‘What happened to Harapan’s vision of education for Malaysians?’

Don't be used by extremists, fanatics, Education Ministry told

Malaysianheart: If Education director-general Amin Senin thinks that saying prayers of a religion other than Islam is wrong, then perhaps it is wrong to say Islamic prayers to students who are not Muslims as these prayers, no matter how well-intentioned, should not fall on the ears of the kafirs (non-believers).

For that matter, separate students into their respective religions as well as one with no religion, and let them have their own prayers and activities.

Why stop there? Have doctors and psychiatrists that are classified by religion to cater to those patients of their religion only. Also, the visiting of other countries must be by religious orientation, this includes seeking higher education overseas.

Malaysia will be more divided, and Malaysians will be suspicious of everyone and become paranoid. Is this what you want Malaysia and Malaysians to become? Where is the respect for others and their religious beliefs?

Already there are too many restrictions on other religious groups that make even having a meal together not entirely without constraints. Do you need to do this to education too?

Perhaps you should remove yourself from the Education Department before you do more damage to our beloved Malaysia.

Oriole: The Education director-general's actions and impulsive behaviour are raising questions about his capabilities.

There are schools with bad infrastructure, teachers are ill-equipped to handle their classes. Far too much time is given to religion so much so students are incapable of engaging with knowledge at a material level.

If this keeps going because of heads like this who have no understanding educational philosophy that syncs with the rest of the world, our schools will bring out more bigots and simpletons. Is this the Pakatan Harapan vision for education in our country?

Because these bigots and simpletons will then be easy pickings for the extremist ideology that is already in our midst.

Wake up Harapan, wake up Education Ministry. Education Minister Maszlee Malik, stop encouraging religious bigotry.

Anonymous_78ab6882: I totally agree with what is said. The Education Ministry needs to have people with the calibre and intelligence for such a high post.

The person currently holding the post is an embarrassment and should be removed before he causes more damage to the ministry’s efforts and mission to build a progressive education system.

Ace: Indeed, Amin Senin is not fit to be the Education director-general. He is jumping to conclusions. He is jumping at the slightest opportunity to condemn others who are not of the same religion as him.

If no one mentioned his position and I read such remarks, I would have thought that those words actually came from the mouth of an office boy.

How can he start warning people when investigations have not even been completed? He really owes the school authorities and the Malaysian public an apology.

Sarawakian: Like all ministries, the Education Ministry is chock full of BN and PAS sympathisers ever looking to sabotage Harapan.

Like the khat issue, a deliberate attempt is being made to prise non-Muslim votes from Harapan. The Tanjung Piai by-election is payday for BN.

Free Sarawak: The tragedy is that no government (in Malaysia) can root out the deeply embedded prejudiced and narrow-minded civil servants. They verily believe that they only serve one particular group and they are tolerating the others.

Harapan alone cannot fix it. It must come from the mindset of the people to accept that this is a multiracial and multiethnic nation.

The only counterbalance is the bumiputeras of Sabah and Sarawak who have led the way about what Malaysia is all about.

PTA member: No recital of Christian prayer in school

JW: It is as if anything that is different is suspect and immediately, we see the rush to condemnation.

First of all, the police report was filed based on hearsay or a lack of proper understanding. Secondly, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy rushed to judgement and started acting victimised without bothering to get to the bottom of the issue first.

Is it too much to ask for just some patience? And level-headedness?

For goodness sake, this is a school and the people who have been running it surely know what is what for a long time now. Does that not count for anything?

Is the idea of giving the school the benefit of the doubt not part of the thinking? Are we not all Malaysians?

Pelanduk: How can a short prayer influence one's faith? If it could, then he or she is not well-grounded in his or her belief.

Non-Muslim students in national schools have been listening to Muslim prayers almost every week during school assemblies and yet they do not make that a bone of contention.

Now, a simple thanksgiving prayer is made into such a big issue.

Anonymous_1372061035: We hear Islamic prayers through the loudspeakers daily and we have no problem with that. It doesn’t convert me into a Muslim.

We live in harmony and respect one another’s religion. I have never heard of Muslims only receiving blood from only a Muslim. All of us are equal before God. So, stop this nonsense of being mightier than thou.

Boyeng: I’m a Muslim and studied at La Salle School in the 70s. Many thanks to the progressive education I received and especially, to all the brothers who have taught me without any racial and religious discrimination.

To the Education Ministry, please learn how to educate instead of apple polishing the politicians.

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