Malaysian Mission Schools Under Threat
Extracted from Lim Kit Siang's blog:
During the policy debate on the 2008 Budget on Oct. 29, 2007 the Barisan Nasional Member of Parliament for Parit Sulong, Syed Hood bin Syed Edros, supported by the BN MP for Sri Gading, Datuk Haji Mohamad bin Haji Aziz called for the removal of the Christian cross and the demolition of Christian statues in the mission schools.
This issue was raised in Parliament on 3rd December, during the winding-up of the Education Ministry in the 2008 Budget committee stage debate by the Deputy Education Minister, Datuk Noh Omar. Lim Kit Siang expressed his concern why the Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein had not said anything to dissociate the government from such extremist demands.
The loyalty of mission schools was questioned, with the baseless allegation that they refuse to observe Aidilfitri public holiday and close the schools. There was even the preposterous accusation that the mission schools were administered by churches outside the country, including the Vatican.
Lim Kit Siang questioned why the Education Ministry was condoning such extremism by its silence when such statement should be denounced without equivocation.
The Deputy Education Minister was also reminded that it is wrong and mischievous to assume that Muslims studying in mission schools are potential apostates, when mission schools had made great contributions in nation-building and produced many Malay leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the Education Minister himself, the Perak Raja Muda Raja Nazrain Shah and the Sultan of Selangor.
Points to ponder:
Destruction of crosses and statues in mission schools is equivalent to destroying history itself. What sort of barbarism is this?
Why is the Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, cowardly keeping mum? Is this issue to 'heavy' for him to handle? Is this issue going to be quietly swept under the carpet in the hopes that no one remembers it?
What proof does anyone have that the mission schools are administered by churches outside the country or the Vatican? Even if these allegations were true, how does tearing down Christian symbols solve anything? Don't we have domestic and international laws for this?
Malaysia: democratic, multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religion. And we have leaders proposing to destroy Christian symbols with hopelessly unacceptable excuses. What sort of hypocrisy is this?
It's insulting to current Malaysian leaders who were taught in mission schools. Do we not owe some gratitude to the mission schools? Do we not owe these schools some degree of respect?
To even make a preposterous suggestion as destroying Christian symbols is an unforgivable crime in itself.
Update [5 Dec 2007]: Video reference from lauwengsan.
