M.Krishnamoorthy
A media coach, associate professor and an author
Stop it. Enough is Enough. No more promotion of hatred in schools, PLEASE, urge Malaysian parents.
School children at an innocent age are being brainwashed by teachers dressed in terrorist-type black costumes, carrying guns and pointing guns at students, threatening to shoot. Malaysians were shocked by the Education Ministry’s announcement to hold Palestinian Solidarity Week in schools and urging the Government to cancel it. What action will the ministry take against schools displaying violence to students?
Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) chairman Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said there were concerns over the appropriateness of such programmes in schools. She said the photos and videos of children carrying guns were an example of what could go wrong with such events. One 55-second video that went viral showed what appeared to be a man pointing a toy rifle at students while leading a group of teachers waving Palestinian flags into an assembly. “Students are being used. Such programmes should be stopped immediately,” said Noor Azimah.
Lawmakers from Parti Keadilan Rakyat, joined a chorus calling for a review for schools nationwide to hold a “Palestine Solidarity Week” from October 29 to November 9 amid growing unease over the activities that will be carried out. The three MPs and nine assemblymen expressed their concerns and emphasised the need to ensure that schools and public institutions remain free from hatred and violence.
The DAP today expressed disapproval towards the use of replica weapons by students and teachers as part of a school activity that was aimed to create awareness and demonstrate Malaysian solidarity with Palestine. Its secretary-general Anthony Loke, said the DAP opposes any form of violence and programmes that exhibit elements of armed violence in all schools involving students at a young age.
Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF) NGO condemned images of children holding toy weapons allegedly linked to Palestinian Solidarity Week in schools. Describing it as "shocking and frightening," its president S Shashi Kumar, urged the government to immediately halt the programme.
An online petition was launched to urge the government to keep conflicts, particularly those in the Middle East, as well as racial and religious tensions out of schools, and GHRF initiated the petition under the banner “Save Our Education System”.
This is the petition’s URL link: https://chng.it/kmn4S76n
Meanwhile, Sabah and Sarawak State governments have rejected the idea of organising Palestine Solidarity Week in the states.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on school administrators to take more systematic measures to monitor the Palestinian Solidarity Week school events. This was after images of children holding toy weapons, allegedly related to the event, went viral.
Kini TV shows toy guns in school while Anwar urges 'control' on Palestine solidarity week.
"Regarding Palestinian Solidarity Week, we discussed it in the cabinet. First, we encourage the event. "We don't compel any school, but it must be controlled.”
A few parents posed these questions to the Education Ministry.
- Why is the government bringing politics into the classroom?
- Why instil hatred in classrooms?
- What is the reason to instil terrorists acts among students?
- What kind of human values are teachers trying to portray?
- Does it not encourage hatred among students of foreign countries?
- How do you quantify the mistake made by instilling hatred among the younger generation?
- Is this what you want to teach schoolchildren at such a tender age of six?
- What good is there in bringing religious sentiment among students of various races?
- What do teachers want to portray through dramatic terrorist-like actions?
- What is the outcome the Education Ministry hopes to achieve through such acts of violence?
- Instead of showing weapons, why can't the government encourage multi-faith prayers for suffering people?
- Can acts of belligerence and violence help to end the fight in Palestine?
- Why stage protest-like events in schools during Palestine Solidarity Week?
- Are we perpetuating and instilling a biased perspective of hatred and intolerance among students?
- How can you express solidarity by poisoning young minds and inculcating values of hatred?
- What action will be taken against teachers who promote hate among students?
- Was the protest week carefully thought out before implementation?
- Were top civil servants like the Chief Secretary to Government, MOE’s DG, Secretary General and others consulted by the Education Minister?
- What is the punishment for schools that went overboard in portraying terrorist-type dramas?
- Will the announcement of Solidarity Week affect Malaysia’s economy, with Western powers further devaluing the Ringgit?
These are real questions the Malaysian Government must reconsider in implementing the Palestinian Solidarity Week.
Several videos gained widespread attention on social media depicting school events displaying Palestinian flags or Palestine-themed scarves covering their faces and shoulders. Additionally, some individuals at the school event also held toy rifles.
Several screenshots from social media also showcased children at a school in Klang wearing green bandanas with "Save Palestine" written on their foreheads as they carried toy guns.
The Education Ministry defended the programme's implementation, stating that it aimed to instil humanitarian values and empathy "regardless of race, religion, or social status." The ministry also said it would not compromise with any extremist activities and that the use of toy guns or the portrayal of provocative logos was not allowed. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek clarified that a school programme involving toy weapons, which went viral on social media, was not conducted according to the government's guidelines. She added that the programme was not part of the Palestine Solidarity Week.
The Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) said it would let higher learning institutions (IPTs) choose whether they join Palestine Solidarity Week. Its minister, Mohamed Khaled Nordin said MOHE has not issued any directive to organise Palestine Solidarity Week in schools.
Meanwhile, Channel News Asia reported thousands of Malaysians, many of them children, have taken to the virtual world of Roblox to attend pro-Palestine protests, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
A video uploaded onto TikTok by user “cikguzyd” - belonging to Malaysian content creator Afiq Mat Zaid who reportedly organised these protests - shows hundreds of characters gathered at an open-air site on the popular online gaming platform.
- A video uploaded onto TikTok by user “cikguzyd” shows hundreds of characters gathered at an open-air site on the popular online gaming platform
- The TikTok account belongs to Malaysian content creator Afiq Mat Zaid, who has reportedly organised these protests since Oct 21
- Mr Afiq said that a 15-year-old friend had created a server on Roblox in a bid to “do something for Palestine” and Mr Afiq decided to hold a virtual rally there
CNBC reported on Thursday that the virtual protest area had been visited more than 275,000 times. However, Roblox told the American news website that this count could include multiple visits by a single user. CNBC said that attendees could choose between virtually raising a Palestinian flag and a Malaysian flag, or not raising a flag.
A political commentator voiced supporting Hamas openly could potentially isolate Malaysia from the international community, particularly countries that view Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Malaysia could face diplomatic pressure, internationally coordinated actions, and potential sanctions from countries that disagree with its stance, impacting trade, investments, and overall diplomatic relations.
Freelance Writer M. Krishnamoorthy (www.imkrishna.net) is a media coach, associate professor and undercover journalist. He has freelanced with Bernama, NST, The Star, and Malaysiakini. He also freelances as a fixer/coordinator for CNN, BBC, German and Australian Television networks and the New York Times. As an undercover journalist, he has highlighted society's concerns going undercover as a beggar, security guard, blind man, disabled salesman and Member of Parliament.
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