Rafidah slams 'little Napoleons' who force their rules on youth

Former minister Rafidah Aziz has slammed "little Napoleons" who force their will and rules on the youth that impacts racial diversity.

The former Umno leader called for an "overhaul" of the country's education system to enable the youth to compete with the best globally.

"It seems that some little Napoleons everywhere continue to force their will when making rules in areas under their jurisdictions.

"They come up with ridiculous rules, such as on kids' dressing and attire, that impact racial diversity, and rules on the segregation of males and females at events, just to name a few," Rafidah (above) told Malaysiakini in a statement.

She was responding to a report about a secondary school in Kajang, Selangor, that allegedly barred students from wearing the traditional clothes of other cultures during Merdeka Day celebrations in school.

According to FMT, the school also did not allow Indian students to wear sarees to the event and told those wearing the holy thread on their wrists to remove them.

An officer from the deputy education minister's office told Malaysiakini yesterday that the Selangor Education Department is probing the incident and appropriate action will be revealed once the investigations are completed.

Elaborating, Rafidah said the education system needed to be overhauled in many aspects, including its contents, delivery, and curricula to prepare the youth to compete in the global arena.

"Teachers must be equipped with suitable knowledge and proficiency to teach the young, who would be future administrators and bureaucrats.

"The longer such revamp is delayed, the worse it will be for the young," said Rafidah, adding that parents must also ensure their children are taught the "right things in the right way".

‘Keep the harmony’

Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan also expressed concern over the matter, as the school fell under his jurisdiction.

"As the MP, I welcome the probe into the reported incident. If found to be true, we must not allow such incidents to happen in the future.

"Kajang has always been a place where the different cultures and communities converged in harmony. This diversity has made Kajang stronger.

“We must strive to keep it that way," the DAP leader wrote on Facebook while sharing a screenshot of the Malaysiakini report on the issue.

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