Posted on by Kit

Songkok made compulsory – latest in series of insensitivities usurping “middle ground”

I have today received a complaint from a parent of a prefect in Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar (formerly English College) in Johor Bahru expressing the strongest objection to any attempt to make “songkok” part of the compulsory uniform of school prefects and students in the school.

He said his son, who is in Form Five, has been a school prefect in Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar since he was in Form Two and had always been an exemplary student, as well has won praise from many teachers for his exemplary conduct and commitment to his duties and studies. He is also a member of the ExCo of the Prefectorial Board.
The parent wrote:

“Recently, in the beginning of this year, there was an instruction from the school, which I believe came from the teacher advisor to the Prefectorial Board, that Prefects have to start wearing the Songkok as part of the official uniform. At first, the instruction was that it would only be required during ‘official functions’ like school assemblies and during interschool events or major events like sports day and speech day. However, this has now been revised to include daily prefectorial duties.

“There are reasons to believe that the practice of getting Prefects to wear the Songkok, is a prelude to getting ALL the students of the school to eventually follow suit.

“My son, after conferring with me, has decided that he will NOT wear the Songkok. He is willing to resign from the Prefectorial Board if forced to wear the Songkok.”

The parent expresses grave regret at the utter lack of sensitivity of the school authorities on this issue, stating in considerable detail his objections – as “the songkok is an emblem of the Malay identity” and “non-Malays should not be forced to don attire which does not reflect their identity”.

I put up the parent’s letter on my blog and in a matter of less than eight hours there had been over 80 responses – demonstrating the strong feelings evoked by another addition to a catalogue of insensitivities recently shown by those in power or in authority in government to the legitimate rights and sensitivities of diverse races, religions and cultures in a plural society – aggravating racial and religious polarization instead of forging greater unity and understanding among the different races, religions and cultures in the country.

What has happened to the former English College, which has produced many prominent Malaysians, including former Deputy Prime Minister and elder ASEAN statesman, Tun Musa Hitam – who has been described as “the best Prime Minister Malaysia never had”?
It is very sad that the 50th Merdeka anniversary had been marked by an unprecedented display of insensitivity to the diverse races, religions and cultures in Malaysia to the extent that the true meaning of the Merdeka “social contract” had been distorted and overturned.

Some of these examples of insensitivity during the 50th Merdeka anniversary are:

• Declaration that Malaysia is an Islamic state;

• The keris-wielding by Umno Youth leader and Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein;

• Demolition of Hindu temple on the eve of Deepavali;

• Holding of the Umno General Assembly on Deepavali itself;

• Public excoriation of the Indian news vendors as if they were at fault for Deepavali being an annual press holiday, resulting in no newspapers the next day to cover the Umno Presidential speech of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi;

• Call by extremist UMNO MPs in Parliament for the removal of the “cross” and Christian symbols in mission schools’;

• The ban on the use of “Allah” by Christian and Sikh religions; and

• The revocation of approval for building the 108-ft Mazu statue in Kudat, which will be the tallest Mazu statue in the world and would also be a tourist revenue-earner for Kudat, Sabah and Malaysia.

Recently, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi called on moderates to take the centre stage and not to allow extremist elements to occupy it to raise sensitive religious and racial issues detrimental to nation-building in plural Malaysia.
Abdullah should maintain the 50-year status quo where the racial, religious and cultural sensitivities of all communities in plural Malaysia are given proper regard and respect and send out clear directives to the Education Minister to nip in the bud all insensitive and divisive tendencies in all educational institutions like the retrogressive proposal to make the songkok part of official uniform for school prefects and students in Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar, Johor Baru.

(Media Conference Statement at DAP PJ Hqrs on Friday, 11th January 2008)

89 Replies to “Songkok made compulsory – latest in series of insensitivities usurping “middle ground””

  1. “What has happened to the former English College, which has produced many prominent Malaysians, including former Deputy Prime Minister and elder ASEAN statesman, Tun Musa Hitam – who has been described as “the best Prime Minister Malaysia never had”?”

    If we are talking about the best Prime Minister Malaysia never had, Lim Kit Siang certainly qualified, next is Anwar Ibrahim.

  3. “Recently, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi called on moderates to take the centre stage and not to allow extremist elements to occupy it to raise sensitive religious and racial issues detrimental to nation-building in plural Malaysia.”

    The only person who is detrimental to nation-building in plural Malaysia is Abdullah Badawi, the worst Prime Minister Malaysia ever had.

  4. Not only the English College in Johor Bahru, but also many ex-top schools of the country in many other states, like Penang Free School, Malacca High School, etc., have been systematically ruined by the Umno-led BN government over the last 20 years.

    They used to be multiracial and multicultural schools where students interacted and competed without much interference from the political masters. Now, sadly, they are Malay-nised and converted into entities very different from their previous glorious forms.

    No wonder most alumni (especially those who graduated before the 1980s) of these schools refuse to have much to do with their alma maters in their current forms. All thanks to our Umno-led BN government.

  5. No matter how many times or how frequent the PM reminds his people, there will sure be bigots try to outdo another in becoming who is more pious.

    We face this everyday in schools. They are asking for suraus in Chinese schools even when there are not enough function rooms. They are asking that the pupils wear baju kurung on Fridays and songkoks for certain type of functions. Even MPs are wearing them.

    But does wearing a songkok make a person more religious? Why are there still so many robberies and rapes committed by certain people who wears the songkok or skull caps?

    These people in power in the schools dare to implement without fearing of hurting the sensitivities of races is because they are protected by people in UMNaziO.

    Sometimes I feel strange training a player/athelete who wears a tudung. The inconvenience she has to go through and restrictions to her movements. Are we actually progressing? Or are we heading towards the Talibans?

  7. The old English College was gone. The new English College, now known as Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar, did not produce any recognisable talents.

    It has ended up with the same fate as Raja Petra’s former school, the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, ever since the supremacists took over.

  8. actually EC (english college) was THE premier boy school back in the days, and until recently although still regarded as a premier school, the school is more known for its gangterism and truancy more than anything else. i have heard of fights of all sorts coming from the school. i recall that someone old me SSI (Sek. Sultan Ismail) is the top national school in Jb. heck, back in the days, SSI was no where compared to EC!

    exam results are mediocre as with sport achievements. this for me, is just another nail in its coffin.

    ex-EC boy.

  9. What are they trying to do?
    To promote racial unrest & disharmony?
    How can this be allowed to happen in the first place, don’t we have an education minister in the country?
    What will Pak Lah do to deal with this extreme elements now inflicting the school?

    Or is this all part of a BN political game plan to further polarize the ethnic groups to win over the Malay votes?

  10. YB

    I have many Malaysians friends of all races + faith, both locally + aboard.

    Group A1 : The truely spirited group. Those who truly believe in Malaysia. A fatherland for all deserving citizens, who pledge loyalty to the King + country of multi colors. The group that believe that alloying of cultures makes one own culture stronger. A group of outlooking Malaysians who accept all good morality from the rest of the world.

    Group Peanuts : The truely narrow minded group. Those who subcribe to politics of racesim, religious pettiness + corruption in all kinds of forms. Those who are not loyal to Malaysia, as to them, the “Malay” in Malaysia stands for the Malay. The “Sia”, “S” for Sino, “I” for Indians + “A” for And others.

    I + most of my friends are of Group A1.

    The Group Peanuts are mostly gang under the clique named the BN.

    I know most of you are Group A1 folks. Encourage others in Group A1 to stand up + be counted this coming GE.

  11. Is it just an ordinary songkok, or one with school emblem, colours etc, maybe the principal hv interest in some songkok supply shop??
    Does Mini of Educ. allow a principal to impose a dress code at will for the students?? If so, very dangerous oh? The principal can make money instructing all students to get uniform, songkok, PE shorts n T-shirt, sports wears, shoes, tie, tudung, etc from a particular shop, etc??
    If they want all non malay to wear songkok n other malay dress, are they willing to give these non malay, bumi status??

  14. Does anyone see how ridiculous is it for the PM of this country to decide on whether someone should/could wear a songkok or not?

    How different are we from a monarchy?

    Its ridiculous when parents, teachers and principles cannot decide on a simple thing like this. Its highly DANGEROUS when they would not even talk to each other about it…

  15. “At first, the instruction was that it would only be required during ‘official functions’ like school assemblies and during interschool events or major events like sports day and speech day.”

    Even songkok should not be worn by non-Muslims during assemblies or sports day. The HM must be running out of ideas.
    Stand for your right. If I have children there, I WILL NOT ALLOW THEM TO WEAR ON ANY OCCASSION.

    All these controversies arise because our poer that be is directionless. Any one with residual power could implement any rules or policies as and when they like. The Reason: They know that they would get away with it. If parents protest they will not give in unril the ministers stepped in. They would coax the culprit to give up the idea. Remeber theydo not direct them to stop implementing the stupid policies but ‘pujuk’ them

    Why is it so? Some of the ministers are equally ?????????

  16. This a symptom of government officials implementing their own laws based on their believes and inklings: the Seremban school that segregated their boys and girls. The immigration officials that declared no more imported priests, temple sculptors etc. and then no more workers from India. This is getting more and more out of hand and yet nothing is done to discipline such officials suggesting the government is condoning such activities detrimental to non-Malaysa and non-Muslims.

  17. THAICOM, a private satellite company in Thailand, has begun airing the broadcasts of Hizbullah’s Al-Manar TV. The satellite covers Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, and most of Europe.

    The Thai satellite has significantly boosted the resonance of Al-Manar’s propaganda messages around the world, said the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) in Herzliya, Israel. “This is an outrage,” said ITIC head, Dr. Reuven Erlich. “Other satellites have stopped airing Al-Manar, so Hizbullah has found a way round it.”

    The United States’ Department of State decided in December 2004 to add Al-Manar to its Terrorist Exclusion List. Since then, the European satellites Hispasat and Eutelsat have ceased airing the station’s broadcasts.

    “It’s a war. Al-Manar is Hizbullah’s main communication tool, through which it spreads anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic, and anti-American incitement. It spreads Hizbullah and Iranian values of radical Islam,” Erlich explained. He added that the fact that Al-Manar can now be seen in south-east Asia, means that Indonesia and Malaysia, two countries with a large Muslim population, are open to its messages of hatred.

  18. Now is the time for us to stand up against such bullying by “little napoleans” in the edu system! There are lots of them around, trust me and if we are not vigilant, it would be difficult to claim back our rights.
    Here is another issue: having gotong royong or similar activities on Sundays. One educator (who wanted to stand up for her right to attending church service on Sun) pointed out that if Muslim men were allowed to leave early on fridays for prayers, why can’t she be given time off for service on Sun morning, was chided for bringing up “religious” issues by her boss and of course was sidelined for any promotion since!

    So high time we make a diff in next elections people!!

  19. I was amazed on the enrollment of my daughter into Form One, I was told my the class teacher i “must” buy this “Packei Cooperative 2008” which include some very heavily coloured cover exercise books, pencil, glue, drawing book and some other items which i am yet to receive (no list at all) i suppose, of value up to RM128.00. from the ??? school’s co-opertive stationary supplier.
    I am told I can not even buy from my own uncle who is a stationary supplier !!!

    What a way to do business ?

    Soon every man would have to wear a songkok bearing an UMNO sign you could only buy from UMNO !!! Co-operative Society. NO OEM here please….

    How much could these go on before “Malaysia” explode with chaos?

    Maybe not ………..i remember when i was a child, I heard about chinese giving away their children to be adopted by Malay just for peace and stability and security…

    There is a saying …. give an inch, they will ask for two .. How much more could they give in ???

  20. Ah, there`s plenty more they can take:

    Visit Malaysia Year – The ‘Korean scandal’
    Syed Jaymal Zahiid | Jan 11, 08 3:52pm

    The government had introduced the Visit Malaysia Year campaign to generate profit for the tourism industry, the spoils of which is to be shared by the nation.
    RM850,000 promotional video
    Minister implicated
    http://malaysiakini.com/news/76949

  22. YB

    Sorry slightly out of topic but are you aware of this happening, what a commenter Ahoo said in an earlier thread ” Songkok compulsory wear for JB English College prefects?” at this link :http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/01/11/songkok-compulsory-wear-for-jb-english-college-prefects/

    Ahoo said, “With the school reopening, my girl (form 2) was moved from top 2 class to the class 5 out of 6 classes in total. Reason is that by placing her there to sit with the under achievers, teacher hopes to get her to guide her under achieving peers to do well ! ”

    This is kind of educational social re-engineering is most unacceptable. I have posted my response to Ahoo’s comments in that thread.

    (Thanks, Jeff, for drawing my attention. Most appreciated as with election temperature rising, may not be able to catch up with all the comments as fast I would like to do. – kit)

  23. Now they are going around bookshops confiscating children Christian books carrying pictures of prophets which offends Islam!!! Islam is so easily offended?? Children’s books have always illustrations of Moses, Abraham etc. What is so offensive about that? The books are not meant for Muslims so why take offense. Can one not teach one’s religion in peace without interference from talibans?
    If that is the case, Christians are not to have pictures and statues of Jesus in Churches etc as Jesus is also a Prophet of islam!

  24. YB Kit,

    I’m not sure if I’m being paranoid here or that my instinct seems to tell me there is a greater effect for all this.

    The latest issue I just found was this http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/76951.

    Now, this seems to be the latest in a series of racial/religious issues that have surfaced lately. From the Allah controversy, to Indian workers ban, to songkok and segregation…

    I can’t help but think that there is a sinister plot to use these issues to raise conflict among the races in this country, in light of the impending GE..

    Could this be a ploy by those in power to re-enact the saddest moment of our history, 39 years ago?? Just to maintain the power??

    I must be paranoid….or am I?

  25. School, college and university is the place to educate, make our next generation more equipped with knowledge to face more challenging tomorow. But our government don’t really sems care about all this, KEEP ON RULING is mainly in their mind.

    University Malaya is not even in the best 1000 university in the world!! I read some report, local university is not even in the best ONE THOUSAND list, my god!!

    The University had quota for Bumi, not getting intakes their by their talent or qualification. We can see all the time in newspaper, all A student rejected by local University!!

    If BN goverment wish to educate the next generation to be only yes man, why don close down all primary, secondary till university, only kindergarden are left. Then the teacher’s job is teaching all the children that, VOTE FOR BN?

  29. Not surprising, this is another IRS at work!
    I – Incite. Put on Songkok.
    R – Resolve. Ruling withdrawn due to protest by non-Malays.
    S – Self praise; all problems can be resolved through the BN channel!

    Monopolise use of the word ‘Allah’, but force you to use ‘songkok’; is this not narrow minded?

  30. Kit, there is one more to be added to your list. The latest, according to a press release from Malaysiakini today, there is a ban now on children bibilical story books which depict pictures of prophets. MPH bookstores have since been raided. Now how in the world are the churches going to conduct their Sunday classes for the little kids, I wonder?????? Day by day, I can feel the screw tightening around us non-Muslims, slowly but surely, and it is a matter of time before some thing gives, and I fear it will be sooner than we think, at the rate they are pushing us to the edge.

  34. The songkok to the Malays is what the kippa is to the Jews.

    So why are they asking the non-Malay non-Muslims to put on the songkok when Jews are proud to tell the world they are Jews and that others are not.

    Does putting on the songkok mean you’re entitled to the 72 virgins at the Gates of Paradise?

  35. “Day by day, I can feel the screw tightening around us non-Muslims, slowly but surely, and it is a matter of time before some thing gives, and I fear it will be sooner than we think, at the rate they are pushing us to the edge.”

    The ship is sailing into unchartered waters here. I don’t think the captain knows what awaits him.

  36. Back in my school days, there was an international scout jamboree that is to be held in Kem Maju in Taiping. I participated in the state contest and was selected to represent my state in this jamboree. In the instruction letters given to us prior to leaving for the jamboree, we were told to wear the songkok as part of the uniform. I was too young then to understand the implication. But on the day we left for the Jamboree by train, none of my other fellow scouts had songkoks with them.

    Subsequent to that, the headgear was changed to be in the same colour scheme as the scarf and the songkok was discarded, although the shape of the new headgear has some resemblance to the songkok.

    If schools want to have a standard headgear, they should go design one instead of adopting the songkok. And the headgear should be wearable by both genders.

  38. Dear Malaysians,
    Congratulations to the parents who were brave enough to publish the story. I’m sure there are hundreds of cases like this throughout the country.
    Please stand up for your right. I know there are many parents who may be afraid to speak up against in-justice. What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for death-bed to take take action. Action is in the present moment. Don’t postpone your action in voicing out.

    Uncle Lim, I want to ask you a serious and honest question. Would you consider becoming the first non-Malay Malaysian prime minister. Do you envision DAP winning majority and you becoming a prime minister?

    As I’m watching the USA presidential debates and caucus/primary elections ( elections done to elect the candidate for the Democrat and Republican parties) closely, I’m awestruck with the passion and composure of Barack Obama, the African American Democrat contender. He is expected to give Hillary Clinton a tough fight for the Democrat nomination. Although not an American, I feel strongly for the way he Obama speaks, as he speaks about restoring hope for the Americans. I feel motivated when I hear him speak. On the contrary, I feel so unmotivated following our local election ( which the idiot Khairy who asks everyone not to speculate the date of the election…such a born loser ). So, Uncle Lim, whats your answer to my question?

    God bless Malaysia.

  40. “This is kind of educational social re-engineering is most unacceptable. I have posted my response to Ahoo’s comments in that thread.

    (Thanks, Jeff, for drawing my attention. Most appreciated as with election temperature rising, may not be able to catch up with all the comments as fast I would like to do. – kit)” – Jeffrey

    Before you all get excited, note that it is a common practice in public schools in the U.S. to do that. In order to have diversity and to avoid discrimination, every class has both good and underachiever, as well as rich and poor kids. It does not prevent a good student from excelling.
    Just ask yourself, is it fair for the teacher to teach poorly just because your kid is an underachiever? How would you prevent that? The solution is to mix up the class. Note that I never use the term “stupid” for the children.
    Of course, in the US, you can also send your kids to private school but then there is also no guarantee that they will be among the top achievers. It is all relative.

  41. How is it that male school prefects in the school are asked to wear the songkok but nothing is required of the girls? Should they as school prefects also be made to wear the ‘hijab’ or tudung as it is commonly referred in Malaysia?

  42. May be a way to go around this, like the concerned parent suggested, is to get many non malay , non muslim males wear songkok n sarong, kissing keris, eat pork, drink bear, hold hand with their wives (wear kebaya n tudung) frequently in public, eat openly at day time during fasting month.
    Then they may be like the ‘all…” case, ban non muslim non malay, to wear songkok, sarong, kebaya, tudung or carry keris, etc.

  43. //Is it fair for the teacher to teach poorly just because your kid is an underachiever?// No one says that the poor standard should be assigned to underacheievrs or that teacher should teach poorly under achievers. By all means get good teachers to go there to teach under achievers but why get acheivers to go there especially when classes have been classified from good to not so good? What is the incentive for students to be achievers when as reward for achievement is to be assigned to the under achievers class? Is it the job of the student achievers to teach the under achievers?

  45. Well, if u must know, orientation for non muslim (S’wak & Sabahan) bumi students in UiTM for girls includes, wearing the baju kurung & tudung for the whole week. And to top that off, after orientation, you’re required to wear clothes that hides the butt & and not wear short sleeves/sleeveless shirts.

    I’m wondering why these ppl are imposing their cultures on other people?

  47. Year 2008. Year of the Rat.

    I loathe the politikus the most. Misuse of power.

    What are you all trying to do? Trying to bring up issues to cause the non-Muslims rise up? And then later incur insecurities in the Muslims that during election to strongly support UMNO??? (This was mentioned in Malaysia-today.net). Very possible.

    I have a good suggestion here. What if all of non-muslims wear songkok for whole of next week?

    Would the politikus then put a ban on wearing songkok by non-muslims when they felt threatened?

    As in like using the word Allah which is too used in other religions for thousands of years?

    We’ve gone to a state of giving more importance to superficial looks than the substance.

  49. What’s in a songkok?

    I tell you what’s in a songkok. You could hide explosive in your songkok. To board a plane in the U.S. you’d need to take them off to be examined.

    That’s what in a songkok!

  51. “You poor Christians. First they took away your rights to use Allah, now they take your right away to portray Jesus in any pictorial form because it offends the Muslims, as Jesus is also one of their prophets.” Tickler
    —————————————————————-
    In John 15:18 Jesus told his disciples: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”

  52. What else is new? Has it ever occurred to us that the Songkok issue may be purposely created in a long series of racism, parochialism and bigotry being perpetrated by UMNO? Look, the raison d’etre of UMNO is to create exclusivity using the sentiment of the Malays. Our fight is not with the Malay over their culture, religion, heritage or economic wellbeing. To do so would lose our focus and play right into their hand. Our fight is with UMNO. We must relentlessly tell the whole big wide world that:
    UMNO is racist
    UMNO is corrupt
    UMNO is bigot
    UMNO is chauvinist
    UMNO is hypocrite
    UMNO is incompetent
    UMNO is archaic
    And sadly, the victims of UNMO are ALL MALAYSIANS, including the Malays. UMNO has held sway for too long. They think the whole world owes them a living. They think they can go around telling everybody to shut up, not to complain about marginalisation, racism, unfairness, cronyism and incompetence. But I say it is time to strip UMNO naked. Tell everybody, tell the whole world who and what UMNO is and has been. UNMO has no moral decency left to talk about any damn thing anymore. UNMO should shut up.

  53. Songkok issues has been around for decades now, soon(slowly but surely) they would force the whole nation to wear it, but special treatment would only be still only given to the soiled puteras only , imagine all the chinese and indian wearing songkok and looking admirably at the soiled puteras and saying , we live and contribute equally (if not more) in the nation buliding, we ‘re now forced to dress like them , but still treated like $hit , we ‘re all would the laughing stock for the rest of the world.
    This crap government has to be rid off, our dignity is at stake.

  55. A society that bends on rituals and sybolism or tokenism will collapse. This had happened throughout history. It lives on thin air. It has no purpose. Once this symbolism is lost or has no meaning, the society will Kaput. And this is the way we are heading!! With a ‘flat world’ , other nations are positioning whatever advantages their nations can mobilize for future gains and we keep on churning out controversies to waste away the nation’s energy and time. Is there a clause in the International Court of Justice where national economic plunders can be considered as a crime?. I think someone who can advocate such clause should do so.
    Maybe the WEST would not advocate this, since ALL such plunders are kept in the banks of the Western world. Just look at what happen in Africa!! Of course, one of our guys loved to support such causes in the past, and I believe we have continued to do so. Why? at least they have got partners in such ventures. So unless we can all do something in the coming GE; we have to pray for the Almighty to save us.

  57. Maybe the WEST would not advocate this, since ALL such plunders are kept in the banks of the Western world.- waterfrontcoolie

    Not necessarily so. I wonder how much of the much lauded FDI in m`sia is on account of the same.

  58. In John 15:18 Jesus told his disciples: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” – kanthanboy

    All very nice, but passivity is what has brought it to this level. The only thing I find pleasing about it is that M`sian public itself is responsible for it.

  59. My son is also in the same school and a prefect. The minute I heard of this ruling I was furious. I will not ask my son to step down as it will only be a solution for the school authorities. We should stand up and ask the school to draft out an official letter with the school letter head stating the new ruling and the concequences if it is not follow. From there on I will know what to do with the letter.
    I hope there are parents who reads this and we should be one in this issue.

  60. My alma mater Sekolah Sri Perhentian, Pontian changed it’s school crest replacing many of the Malay words with Jawi during the reign of a slew of Haji/Hajjah principals. Many non-malays now no longer see it as a premier school.

    Most of us who did reasonably well were posted to EC study for the HSC. EC was then the convergence for all the best students from all over Johor. Sad to say, it no longer is.

  61. “How does one hide one’s butt??” DarkHorse

    Be creative. If you’re wearing jeans/pants, make sure the shirt that you’re wearing is long so it covers the butt, and Baby Tees are a No No. If all fails, wear baju kurung.

  63. There is no difference between taliban regime and badawi regime. At least the former openly declared the dictatorial rulings , unlike this guy whom we have to regard as PM who goes into hiding behind his officers and implementing the iron curtain rules in a very decisive and cunning manner. Islam is suppose to be a peaceful religion but what I am seeing is subtle and overzealous implementation of rules and concepts under the banner of islam. I was born in the 60’s and as I grew up, I became close with many religions of the world such as christianity, buddhism, bahai, shintoism, hinduism and taoism but only one religion kept me far from it – ISLAM. Once I wanted to buy a Quran Holy Book, but I was told, only a muslim can touch the Quran. This kind of narrow interpretation of a religion brings no good to any society. Religion must be open and sincere and should not be forced by any means, subtly or radically. The goal of religion is to bind us to God or the Creator or whatever one may call it. But, in this country the goal of certain religion is to bind us towards the corrupt politicians and their dirty tricks. HE is GOD who BLESSES those who are WEAK and HUMBLE, and not TAKING ADVANTAGE of THEM. God Bless.

  64. Can wearing songkok be exempted if my religion and culture disallowed me to do so?

    We have seen people using religion to excuse themselves from doing this and that. Such as, if my religion disallowed me to eat pork then you can’t sell pork-related food to me. Right? If my religion prohibits me to wear red clothings during a funeral ceremony then you can’t demand me to wear one in a similar occasion. This is democracy and the rights of human. Right?

    By wearing songkok in an educational institution, does it going to help in promoting racial harmony and improve the quality of our education standards? You can’t force someone to do something that is against his religion, culture and custom. Right?

    Why pick on songkok after picking the “Allah” issue? Are these signs of CHANGE??

    Malaysia Boleh. Now Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar pun Boleh!!

  65. After these thousands of words that complaining, please forgive me if I’m too dumb to understand our Malaysian mentality. Why we can accept the western dressing culture, including tie, tube, even a g string from top to bottom, from external to internal, but can’t accept our own official dress code, the same dress code when go to see Sultan during receiving the datoship? What’s wrong with a songkok? It is just as same as the base ball cap, the army helmet, the police cap and etc. If you refuse to accept because due to the culture belongs to the Malays, then you should also reject the western one. For me, the songkok looks smarter than a base ball cap or tennis cap. Neat.

    Please don’t think that the songkok have anything to do with the religion. As far as I know, only a Haji, wear a cap or something like that on their head. Ordinary muslim cannot wear a haji cap. It represents certain level in the religion.

    Finally, just ask yourselves, after so long of firing, what the cause of making you so angry and dislike the songkok? But I can tell you, your sub conscious is full of hate, discriminate, envy and other negative thinking. If you wanna argue, please tell me why you allow yourself wear jeans, your wife wear g-string, your daughter wear tube, your son wear those funny thing from japan? Why not ban them all and restricted to only your own traditional dressing code? I think your children rather wear songkok in stead of put a cheong sam on.

  66. What we accept (whether Western or Japanese dressing) is not the issue : what we are forced to accept (songkok), that we have not accepted as yet on our own volition, and why we should be so forced to acept something that we have not accepted yet, is the issue.

  67. Ok, everyone! I’m a prefect in EC currently & I would like to tell you all this that this songkok wearing thing didn’t just come out recently. It has already been there for nearly 30 years & for vetaran like us (currently in upper 6), wearing green songkok is a tradition. I have wirte about this in my blog. The current situation is due to miscommunication between school & prefect & also lack of history knowledge about prefectorial board of EC by the juniors

  68. If you don’t force people to wear the songkok, wearing it may just become a fashion even amongst the non-Malays. Force them to wear it and you are inviting rebuke and objection to that head gear which should be in the first place not objectionable at all. The point is that we should not force cultural or religious practices on others. Let there be full liberty so far as those things are concerned. Let us not be arrogant and be holier than thou.

    It is a direct result of social conditioning – you associate the songkok with Malayness, then you associate Malayness with UMNO, then you associate UMNO with bigotry and corruption and all kinds of political sins, and finally you come around to associate the songkok with the same thing. Not very fair to the neutrality of the songkok but that is a fact in Malaysia. And this conditioning is started by them in the first place. Sad for the songkok and sadder still for Malayness and anything Malay, which is rich culturally and which all Malaysians of all racial origins should be proud of. I should be proud of wearing the songkok and the baju Melayu, I happen to think that the baju Melayu and the samping are very unique and gorgeous, but I cannot pull myself to wear the costumes of someone who has been arrogant to me and insisting that I am a lower class citizen compared to him. And that he is holier than me. Now you see who is the one who instilled this abhorrence to wearing anything Malay.

  69. I think manay chinese love to put on the batik.
    But according to Indonesians, batik is not Malaysian culture. It is part of Indonesian culture. Now we found that boleh has nothing but all stolen from Indonesia

  71. “What we accept (whether Western or Japanese dressing) is not the issue : what we are forced to accept (songkok), that we have not accepted as yet on our own volition, and why we should be so forced to acept something that we have not accepted yet, is the issue.” Jeffrey

    Chinese reaction to the wearing of the Malay headgear so far has glossed over the fact that the Malays are not forcing them to put on the Malay headgear (which is what ‘songkok’ is all about and not a religious symbol) but some over zealous and misguided government officials who seem to have acted on their own initiative.

    Many Malays would want the ‘Malayness’ to be confined to them. It is what differentiates them from the rest. Can you imagine the Jews asking non-Jews to put on the kippa?

  72. ///Finally, just ask yourselves, after so long of firing, what the cause of making you so angry and dislike the songkok? But I can tell you, your sub conscious is full of hate, discriminate, envy and other negative thinking.///– csl

    Quite an interesting thought! How does it come about?

  74. kanasaikia,
    i have reliable information that you have only been a Prefect at EC for only SIX(6) months!
    That _hardly_ qualifies yourself to be a “veteran” (btw it is not “vetaran”) of the Prefectorial Board.
    It is plainly evident from the initial post by EC Parent that his son has been a prefect much longer than you have, and this issue had NEVER been raised in ALL the entire time that the son had been a prefect.
    So PLEASE Do NOT mislead everyone here into thinking that wearing of the songkok had been ongoing for the past thirty years.

    If you wish to wear the songkok, whether by choice, or out of fear of reprimand or intimidation by school authorities, it is entirely up to you.
    But we should not FORCE anyone to wear the songkok if they choose not to.

    A student from that same school, tells me of yet another serious incident, which occured some time ago:
    During the school’s Co-Curriculum Day in 2007, a Doa session was held at the start of the events. ALL students were required to raise their hands in prayer as Muslims do, whether they were Muslim or not!
    Those who felt uneasy to comply as they were not Muslims, were punished by the teacher! I wonder, were you one of those who DID comply?
    I have been told that about thirty non-Muslim students (chinese and indian) were eventually punished. Why don’t you ask those who were punished and report here whether this is true?

  75. Well! Y i say i’m vetaran becoz i study in dis school for nearly 7 years eventhought i’m not a prefect be4 det but I noe well in dis abt songkok stuff ( i hv a lot of fren wic is prefect) n becoz dis this songkok thing started 2 vanish in my form 4 years ( wic is wen det prefect get himself in 2 de prefectorial board. Det time he is form 2) det is y he didn’t noe abt de songkok matter. If u dun believe dis songkok thing reli existed be4 he came, u can ask ppl of my batch or be4. I swear dey will tell u de same answer as i said. Since i’m in dis sch for so long, is it consider misleading? Or u wan me to get u some old time pic or bring u in2 our museum to look thru de album den only u believe?

    As for the songkok thing, i have already explain in my blog, u can go n hv a read abt it & if u wana noe wad a person i’m, plz go thru my blog posts. I’m not those who will side anyone ezily.

    For de co-co day matter, i don’t know about it coz I didn’t participate in it. Btw, i muz thx u 4 telling me det such things existed n i will like to noe more on de incident.

  76. And if what some u guys said is true ie performing doa and non-muslims are forced to do if not they will be punished, i hope these studetns are MAN enough with balls between their legs to lodge a POLICE REPORT!

    EVeryone can talk based on hearsay and until and unless these students who have suffered silently can come out in the open (if they are 30 of them, it is good enough) to bring these Little Napoleans down to their knees.

  78. Many Malays would want the ‘Malayness’ to be confined to them. It is what differentiates them from the rest. Can you imagine the Jews asking non-Jews to put on the kippa? darkhorse

    How do you know this? On whose behalf are you talking about? If other people say the same thing, you would probably say it is an opinion and not a fact. But please look at yourself.

  80. Teaching professions in Malaysia: teachers, headmasters, principals… are not infiltrated by the religious lunatics. Whether the schools or colleges is co-ed or not, it is immaterial to these lunatics and fanatics. They are one tracked mind and they see only tunnel-vision.

    So the pupils & students churned out by these lunatics and fanatics cannot not be better off; can only be worse off.

    In time to come, the Malaysian society will be flooded with such characters. One can guess the type of future in the country without much difficulties.

    We need a strong opposition or an alternative government to bring “Change” – the key words now being thrown around in the current Primaries of the American Presidential election!

  82. Since the gomen is so keen to start ‘Malay-ing’ the country, perhaps all Malaysians should all start wearing not only the songkok but also sarong, tudung, purdah, baju kembaya etc to work, jalan jalan etc.
    Try it instead of the western suits – the traditional dress do have practical values in this hot weather of Malaysia!
    Imagine LKS and all DAP MPs start wearing sarongs and songkoks plus batik attire etc in Parliament to highlight the Bangsa Malaysia culture!!
    Bet once the gomen realises that if some of their policies are adopted lock, stock and barrel, it can become a national joke, hopefully they can be a bit more considerate.

  83. Hey senior daniel! I would like to correct 1 thing that you had mention, is that I didn’t mention this thing is around for over 30 years which will put this thing to your era but i said nearly 30 years which mean this thing started to exist around the late 70’s or early 80’s. If you wana clarrify this matter you can come back to EC & visit the school’s museum. There got photos that can prove it.

    Btw, i’m glad to meet some EC people here ^^

  84. quote Loh :Quite an interesting thought! How does it come about?

    I think you can print out these commends and consult a psychologist. So you will know without any doubt. I can’t tell you anything, as I already know what is the outcome. I forgot also to mention, some are more LKS than LKS. I can’t tell them how they should think or do things. I can only choose to participate or quit. Let the natural rules to complete the karma. If you don’t wanna pull back your words after certain time, better do research 1st before anything. Just like those who complaining about Pak Lah for bringing the country backward by encouraging for plantation and related research at the beginning. Now they should slap their mouth when they see what had bring our currency up while most Asia countries currency dropped recently. (please try to understand the point in stead of arguing on the word).

  85. If my son studying there and chosen to be a prefect, I’ll ask him to wear the songkok if needed. It is better to learn how to play with the rules in stead of against the rules when you are not powerful enough to create the rules. If don’t understand, please find a CEO level person to ask or buy some strategy book to read.

  86. csl says: “If my son studying there and chosen to be a prefect, I’ll ask him to wear the songkok if needed.”

    csl, what if your daughter is asked to wear the tudung if she wants to be a prefect? will you also go along?

    csl , what if the school requires him to raise his hands in “doa” as muslims do, when the doa is being conducted? will you also ask him to go along?
    btw, has kanasaikia enquired whether he has confirmed the incident during Ko-Ko day 2007 in EC?
    please DO report here of your enquiries, kanasaikia. thanks.

  88. Pingback: Lim Kit Siang » Blog Archive » Songkok as compulsory uniform for prefects - JB English College backs down

  89. Kanasaikia, for God’s sake, don’t use this kind of English to express yourself. I have great difficulty in reading your comments. I wonder if your type of English is originated from EC? Don’t kill the English language in this way. I am a senior citizen who enjoys reading bloggers’ comments in YB Lim’s Blog but write proper English, please. My children are reading all the comments posted here and I don’t want to pick up your BAB English.

    Once again, DON”T POLUTE or CORRUPT the ENGLISH LANGUAGE …. Don’t bring disgrace to EC…..

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