Posted on by Kit

Suspend “Little Napoleon” school principals who trample on rights and sensitivities of plural Malaysia

The Cabinet next Wednesday should order the immediate suspension of school principals who acted as “Little Napoleons” in unilaterally and arbitrarily imposing rules and regulations which trample on cultural and religious rights and sensitivities in a plural society – demonstrating that they lack the most fundamental qualification to be school principals.

The latest manifestation of such “Little Napoleons” is Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar (formerly English College) in Johor Bahru in making “songkok” part of the compulsory uniform of school prefects in the school.

I put up on my blog the protest letter of a parent of a school prefect in Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar who said his son, who is in Form Five, would resign as a school prefect – appointed since Form II because of his exemplary conduct – if he is forced to wear the songkok. There are over 160 responses in the two threads in my blog on this issue in the past 24 hours, showing the intensity of the sensitivities over the matter.

Recently there have been an unchecked increase of incidents whether in schools, universities or involving the government decision-making process showing growing indifference, disrespect and even contempt for the sensitivities and rights of the diverse races, cultures and religions in the country – which are most detrimental to the goals of nation-building and the Vision 2020 objective of creating a Bangsa Malaysia.

Yesterday, Malaysians learn to their shock another incident of the “Little Napoleons” running wild in Malaysia – the confiscation of English language Christian children’s books said to contain offensive caricatures of prophets from several bookshops in Johore Baru, Senawang (Negri Sembilan) and Ipoh by state enforcement officials of the Publications and Al-Quran Texts Control Department under the Internal Security Ministry.

What happened in Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar, Johor Bahru goes against the 2004 Barisan Nasional general election manifesto to create public confidence in national schools by making them as the educational institution of choice of all Malaysians.

In his last year as Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad was quite outspoken in expressing his concern at the failure of national schools as instruments of nation-building and national unity.

He openly admitted that there had been two hijackings of the national education system from its original objective to cater to all races in Malaysia, alienating non-Muslims as in denying the right of the Chinese and Indians to learn their own languages and introducing Islamic practices in the school system which “puts off the non-Malays”, with boys forbidden from wearing shorts, even for playing games, and “even games are discouraged”, when “before, we had no problems with girls wearing skirts and boys wearing shorts, especially for games”.

When Abdullah became Prime Minister, he pledged to carry out Mahathir’s “unfinished business” to end such extremism and intolerance by the “Little Napoleons” so that the national schools will become the school of choice of all Malaysians regardless of race.

Instead of “walking the talk” and delivering his election pledge to end the intolerance and extremism in the schools, the reverse has taken place with “Little Napoleons” running wild in the schools, whether as principals or other capacities, creating a situation even worse than during Mahathir’s time.

The latest songkok issue in Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar in Johor Bahru is the latest known manifestation of such “Little Napoleons” in the national schools. Other recent “Little Napoleonic” outrages include:

• The segregation of boys and girls in SMK Seremban Jaya in Senawang although it is a co-ed school. Boys and girls were not allowed to mix whether to study in the same classroom or eat at the same table in the canteen. In fact, a new block was built to ensure their classrooms were located away from each other.

• Islamisation of Penang Free School, once the premier school in Penang and the country, with what many old boys regard as the “last straw” when a Jawi signage was installed at the main entrance of the school.

Although the scandalous segregation of boys and girls at SMK Seremban Jaya in Senawang has been ended after a public outcry, no action has been taken against the “Little Napoleons” responsible for such outrageous rules.

I call on the Cabinet next Wednesday to order the immediate suspension of school principals in these three schools and in others where there are principals who acted as “Little Napoleons” in unilaterally and arbitrarily imposing rules and regulations which trample on cultural and religious rights and sensitivities in a plural society.

The Cabinet should also institute a national inquiry into all the national schools to smack down the “Little Napoleons” whether principal or administrator for their disrespect and insensitivity to the rights and sensitivities of diverse races, religions and cultures in plural Malaysia – giving the aggrieved parents an opportunity to publicly voice their objections and protests at such perversion of the national education policy and nation-building objective.

(Media Statement when launching the 2-day 12-place “whistlestop” campaign in Perak to highlight the DAP national general election theme of “Good Cops, Safe Malaysia” at the Bidor market (first of the 12 stops) on Saturday 12.1.08)

141 Replies to “Suspend “Little Napoleon” school principals who trample on rights and sensitivities of plural Malaysia”

  3. This kind of things should be handled quickly by the local education departments instead of going to the cabinet. The cabinet should have other important things to handle. What a waste of time by these empty Napoleans.

    Do you realise that many years back the teachers and principal would greet ‘selamat petang’ or ‘selamat pagi’ in schools? Suddenly there was a change in my secondary school when a muslim prinicpal came in. It became Assalaam Alaikum (I forgot the word and got it from the web, hope it is not wrong). Wasn’t this a way to Islamise our education system? May be non-muslims in the Semananjung get used to this greeting and not even questioning about it at all. Also, it killed our Malay culture because Malay no longer greets like they used to be.

  4. Napoleon was a great statesman and military commander, so don’t mix up his great deeds with those lowlife scums above. Instead of branding these ‘subprime’ mutated terrorist offsprings of humanity as ‘Napoleons’, they are more suitably called “Little Osamas”

  5. This is what happens when the PM has all but abdicated his role as chief of the executive branch. He should be tried for dereliction of his duty to the nation.

    Don’t school principals seek guidance from the Ministry of Education before going on a frolic of their own?

  7. If you want to do that, the only way is by changing the govt.

    The current deputy DG of Education took over as HM from a non-malay HM in a school somewhere in Johore. This school was among the top non-residential schools in Johore in all fields, (academic as well as non-academic activities), mainly due to the effort of this non-malay HM and teachers. It also had an excellent library!

    The non-malay HM had been working hard collecting funds to collect sufficient money to cover the school hall, which was basically an open shed construction. He wanted to build walls to keep the rains out. The Education department had pledged to match the HM’s collected funds, i.e. if the HM collected RM50,000 they would give him RM50,000 so he would have RM100,000 to cover the hall.

    When the non-malay HM was moved out to another school, the current deputy DG took over as HM. He then used the funds collected by the non-malay HM to renovate his room, and to paint the building. Funds, finished. This happened 30 years ago! Until today, the school hall remains an open shed.

    The school is just like any other school today. It does not churn out anymore brilliant students, and does not excel in anything. Just another mediocre national school.

    And this man will soon become DG I suppose. So what do you expect about the standard of our schools?

    If HM’s are more concerned about songkoks, and painting and renovating their offices, etc, and not driven to produce brilliant students, where do you think this nation is headed? Behind Nigeria and Sudan eventually!

  10. Are the principles allowed to create rules whereby they are under the education department?.. I thought they(principles) only impose rules handed down to them by the education?..or ?? Is the case of wearing SONGKOK to be made compulsary for school prefects is the command of the Education? No matter what the reason is.. the education system in Malaysia got “NO MORE” hope in bringing Malaysia on the same par with other develop countries..Forget about VISION 2020.. Just a dream never come true if we still have a government full of racismn..

  11. Imagine this scenario:

    The Minister Of Education, say, gets the DG (who gets someone else) to get a school principal to impose such aruling and the school principal, is in `on the game` goes ahead with it.
    An issue is created, which the all wise Education Minister then steps in coorects.
    He then goes on a photo shoot to the school, and the following day you get to see the Minister`s big smiling mug in the NST, Star n other papers.

  12. Let me ask a very fundamental question. Why we all love to get the influence of the middle east, be it Islam or Christianity? These are the middle east religions. If we care so much about the Chinese identity, that does not seem fit. Buddism (from India) also does not fit us. Go back to the teaching of confucious.

    I always feel that Chinese are very strange, always doing things that are not consistent at all.

  14. It’s sad but i am convinced now our PM is nothing more a post wasting the country resources with zero control over his ministers who are acting like they are immune to anything. Now we have civil servants creating their own rules based on race and religion.
    What happened to this old Malay beautiful gesture … the shaking of hands and touching of the chest.
    “Malaysia truly Asia” soon will be replaced by “Malaysia truly Malay and Islamic”
    Wake up before it’s too late! Malaysian.

  16. Penang Free School, my alma mater which have since disappeared. The Islamisation is not a new thing, since the mid 90s, when PFS had her last non-Malay HM things started to change.

    The new HM collected funds from all students to build a surau in the school compound and received much opposition from parents.

    Next, the traditional class streaming was made history just a few years ago because they claim it is not consistent with the national unity agenda. Chinese make up the majority in the top three classes every year. Since then an openly pro-UMNO teacher was alleviated to the Senior Assistant position, he tried to implement NEP in PFS.

    The school admin wanted to turn PFS into another Malay residential school like Alam Shah. Traditionally, PFS was a controlled school and students were admitted by merit, based on the UPSR exam and a handful of students for their sporting ability.

    Since a few years ago, Malay students outnumbered non-Malays for the first time. They all came from Seberang Perai and were taken in for their sporting talent. Non-Malay teachers have transfered out leaving those close to their retirement age.

    The Muslim Old Frees Association was formed just a few years ago dissociating themselves from the Old Frees Association. How embarrasing! Why must there be a separate association for Muslim Old Frees? We are all Old Frees!

    From what i see they are committed towards turning PFS into a fully Malay residential school. Admissions to the school were no longer based on academic merits such as the UPSR. It is only a matter of years, PFS will change its name (sekolah berasrama penuh) and lose its premier school status. Oh God, save my alma mater!

  17. Mr. P Sibu.
    If you feel that the Chinese are very strange, then I suppose you must be from another world! This incidents are happening mainly because UMNaziO is promoting bumis at the expense of Chinese and Indians. If the bumis are good, highly qualified, then why need NEP to survive. Why always beg from the Gov?

    I can accept if a bumi can produce results. There are productive and qualified bumis. But the number is small. Mainly because those who are good are not in Gov service.

    Those in the Gov service are either in the 3rd or 4th echelon. That’s why we have so many problems like wastage and backward policies from schools and departments. They are more concerned with a new coat of paint, how to please someone from JPN than the everyday running of their offices. Principals who don’t bother about the problems of teachers and students, not being aware of new practical teaching methods, how to increase productivity are so common.

    They don’t improve themselves, upgrade their knowledge in pedagogy and worst of all, they don’t read. Just compare with our southern neighbour.

    All these problems exist due to marginalisation and discrimination. Please don’t deny.

  18. I’m confused. What business does a Muslim have reading Christian children books until he/she can complain to the authorities? The report say Islamic authorities (which jokers is it this time?) made the complaint. Why would an authority on Islam go and poke its nose into a different religion matters? Surely they have better things to do like snooping on promiscuous couples, investigating deviant teachings, or checking on mosques’ sermons? I’m sooo confused!

    http://poobalan.com/blog/borninmalaysia/2008/01/11/christian-children-books-seized/#respond

  19. ”Instead of branding these ’subprime’ mutated terrorist offsprings of humanity as ‘Napoleons’, they are more suitably called “Little Osamas” K1980.

    Very well said!

    From now on, we MUST all call them “Little Osamas” instead.

    All repeat after me:

    Little Osamas!
    Little Osamas!
    Little Osamas!
    Little Osamas!
    Little Osamas!

  20. One has to be blind and deaf not to notice that there has been an accelerated drive towards assimilation (and marginalization) of ethnic minorities in the name of nation building.

    This couldn’t have been the intention of the Reid Commission. It is unconstitutional to force people of different of ethnic backgrounds to adopt the customs and culture of another. That is not envisaged by our Federal Constitution 1957. Rather a Malayan nation is to be built (if a nation could be built over five decades of living together and sharing experiences) based on the policy of integration – not assimilation.

    Chinese Malaysians proud of their language and culture of some 3,000 years couldn’t have agreed to being assimilated.

  21. With all such stupid and radical regulations, and the Gomen wanted to make Malaysia as an education hub in Asia?????

    Let’s fight back, let’s hunt them down and send all the Little Osamas to Guantanamo!

  22. People “arbitrarily imposing rules and regulations” in schools are principals, the ustaz/ustazah (discipline teachers) and religious teachers. Their mindset is Islamic fundamentalist inclined.

    Many amongst the officials in State Education Department and even the Ministry of Education are aware of this arbitrary rule making. However many officials at the top echelons are also of similar world view as those below, so unless there is isolated public protest or strong directive from the top (cabinet/government) backed by action, this state of affairs (Islamisation of national schools) by principals, the ustaz/ustazah (discipline teachers) and religious teachers (of one race and one religion) is tolerated and acquiesced with, if not otherwise encouraged. All participants are encouraged by statements from the top leadership that Malaysia is an “Islamic State” so what is wrong with these initiatives?

    The problem has been put succinctly by none other than Executive Director of Sisters in Islam (SIS), Zainah Anwar. In her article “Islam Hadhari champions needed” in New Straits Times, Friday, 3 Nov 2006, she had written the following insights :

    [Quote] “The intent (of Islamists) is to build support for the Islamist political project of turning Malaysia into an Islamic state with Syariah as the supreme law of the land.

    The Islamic state ideologues know they cannot win power through the ballot box as most Malaysians, including Muslims, will not support the kind of intolerant, punitive, bigoted, misogynistic and joyless Islam they stand for.

    The strategy then has been to penetrate the academic institutions, the bureaucracy, the Islamic institutions and take over the instruments of governance through the backdoor. Cloak yourself in the mantle of God, intimidate your opponents by declaring them kafir or anti-Islam, eliminate anyone with a differing view by declaring war on pluralism and liberalism, take over the drafting of laws, create further institutions to expand your influence and jurisdiction, pronounce one fatwa after another to further limit the scope of differences and diversity, so that in the end only the Islamist ideological conception of Islam prevails. And you could do all this from within the government apparatus. We do not even have to wait for Pas to come into power.

    The threat is real and the trend must not be allowed to prevail. The 2004 election results were a shock to them, especially after their unprecedented performance of 1999 when Pas emerged as leader of the Opposition in Parliament.

    The Islamists know the biggest threat against the success of its project comes from human rights and women’s rights groups and ordinary citizens who have been vocal in protesting the injustices that occur in the name of Islam.

    My concern for Malaysia is how fast this Islamist supremacist thinking has seeped into the body politic……

    When the exercise of rights by citizens under the law is construed as insults to Islam, to Muslims and the religious authorities, then Malaysia is in danger of sliding down the slippery slope of de facto theocratic rule.

    Concerned over the potential for extremism and violence, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi introduced Islam Hadhari “to enable Muslims in Malaysia to become the vanguard of a new civilisation that can bring about progressive and comprehensive change.

    But without champions within the system to deliver on his vision, and a civil society facing the threat of silence, I fear that Islam Hadhari, like Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Islamisation project, will yet again be hijacked and redefined in implementation by the Maududi and Syed Qutb ideologues and the traditionalist ulama that still dominate the Islamic political landscape in Malaysia…..” [Unquote]

  23. The affected student should resign as a school prefect, better quit the school altogether, all Non-Malay Muslim student should do so too and let Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar be exclusive to Malay Muslims.

  24. What is MCA and OKT going do about this? OKT always says MCA will look after the interests of the Chinese. [deleted] OKC is going to be the next Health Minister.

    One more DVD scandal will be on CKC! Ha!

  25. Before anything, let us be reminded that our official independence day is in 1957 and for me, that is our official benchmark of the birth and growth of Malaysia as a whole country, including Sabah and Sarawak.

    Let us be reminded too that a baby becomes a toddler on its’ 1st birthday, a child until 12 years old, a young teenager until 21 years old, a matured teenager until late 20’s, a young adult until 40’s and in case you don’t know, after 40 is considered old.

    So Malaysia is old. This topic or this issue should have been brought up many monkey years ago. I think we are too late to make any changes. But changes can still be done if everybody knows that it is wrong and wish to make a change. But does everyone realize it is wrong ?

    Tun Dr Mahathir just this week, praised Ting Pek Kiing for what ? For being FAST in delivering finished projects BEFORE the DATELINE.

    You don’t need just any Tom, Dig and Harry to become school principals. You need Principals who are wise. It is no point issuing an official letter and just appoint the next person in the list. He or she will just carry on traditions because there are no concrete instructions from the very top. The firm instructions to change and to carry out disciplinary action as soon as possible if Little Napoleons are detected. Know why they become Little Napoleons ? They become Little Napoleons because of silent consent.

    Silent consent is keeping quiet whether things are wrong or right.

    And the big big big bosses are always giving silent consent. Talking about principals and leaders. If you are not wise, if you do not see a mistake when you see a mistake, you are leading your people out into the South China Sea. Then why should you become a leader or a principal ? Or why are you given some award if you never know that you are making the same mistakes and that award is given because of ulterior motives rather than being a wholesome example to everyone ? And would anyone wants to follow your example even if you have a chain of awards ?

    If you really wish to see a harmonious Malaysia, in school for example, you do not force a race to imitate the other race. Even at work; another example; non Bumi PDRM female officers also have to wear the tudung which means that their Senior officers are also Little Napoleons. Truely Malaysian means that you actually get to see respect in action and not just talk. Does our P.M. truely understand the meaning of Little Napoleons when he raise this up ? He should be a bit more cunning to mix with the type of people who can help him to achieve his dreams. He should learn from Tun Mahathir. Learn to achieve big idealistic dreams and not just dreaming which flower to grow next and what sort of garden he wish to have.

  35. The civil service has grown so big and unwieldy that the head does not know what the toe, the knee and the foot is doing. At least in schools, parents soon find out what is going on and the goings on get exposed. How about other department where only insiders know what is happening like immigration. They decide who to allow into the country and is now banning priests and temple workers and workers from India. How about the MOF, they decide who to give contracts to. The land office where your title can be transfered without your knowledge.

  36. YB Lim, personally I don’t find wearing the songkok repulsive – though I don’t like to wear one. If they have made that rule 50 years ago, I think most of us would have complied willingly.

    It became an issue because of the connotation is brings. In Malaysia it implies Islam, and a surrender of our ethnic rights to Malays/Islam. This is further aggravated with the recent strings of religious edicts issued, infringing into the rights of other ethnic groups. If that is not bad enough, we have also been assured by none other than the PM and the Deputy PM themselves that the government is sensitive to the rights of all Malaysians.

    I reproduce here the following: Star: Thursday December 27, 2007

    [[[KUALA LUMPUR: Be moderate and do not be influenced by any kind of extremism, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

    He also called on the people to uphold the spirit of tolerance and mutual respect they have been practising in the multi-racial community.

    “If moderation does not take centre stage, we will all be dragged into extremism, from the basis of religion, race or groups. He said Malaysia was a land of opportunity, where everyone knew how to respect one another and how to give and take.

    Abdullah also said everyone wanted a peaceful and harmonious country to live in, which should be the ultimate goal of every Malaysian.
    “This is our responsibility that we have to carry out diligently, so that our country will become a peaceful country.

    “I’m aware of religious issues that happen from time to time and we should solve these problems with a very high level of understanding, tolerance and respect,” he said.]]]

    Either the Star reporter was BLUFFING all of us, OR is this AAB’s definition of “tolerance, mutual respect and moderation?”

  37. The idiotic slogan ‘Malaysia Truly Asia’ should now be changed to

    ‘Malaysia Truly Melayu dan Islam’.Stop being hypocritical and blare

    to the whole world that Malaysia is a multicultural country.

  38. Such rot started not with Badawi, but long time back in Mahathir’s time and he did nothing about it. The result is generations of racist and religiously fanatic Malaysian. You’d be surprise how much crazier it is now at local universities.

    Why do you think our public servants and politicians are so racist? Why do you think they behave as though they have a piece of land at Palestine taken by Israelis? Why do you think every Malaysia passport has the name of a country we don’t acknowledge as a country (but yet we print it there anyway)? Why do think our Universities continue to fall out of ranking? Try to visit the HEPs of our local Unis and see for yourself how efficient they work and if these people are concerned about education at all.

    Due to all these uncontrolled and encouraged rots, Chinese parents are prone to sending their kids to chinese schools and abroad if they can afford it. For those who barely can make ends meet, they send their kids to ktar or other colleges and if even that is too much to afford, they just tell their kids to put up with the crazy system and just get that piece of paper from local u.

    However, this too, caused much envy in the UMNO-led fanatic racists. They began introducing Malay senior admin into chinese schools on pretense of “Science and Maths in English” to slowly convert them like what they did to English schools.

    Unfortunately, the strategy backfired on themselves when they can’t cope with English and find it even harder for their kids to follow. So they flip and flop with the decision while kids started to pay more attention to cybercafes than such stupid adult screwing around with education.

    So there.. this is still going on as we speak. And it isn’t easy to correct the rot as we then would need to clean up a few generations of output from such system. Many of these rotten outputs are currently holding high positions in the administration and they are the people making the calls to encourage more rot.

    Well, this is a frog in boiling pot problem.

  41. To side track, Malaysia will restart the FTA negotiation with USA next week.

    If we don’t have a FTA with the USA soon, it means we will become a least favored trading partner with the USA. It could mean most of our goods to the USA will be taxed. Many foreign investments in Malaysia like Sony, Panasonics, Sharp, Canon, Samsung, Dell, Intel, Motorola will start to relocate to other countries immediately. Indeed many are already making the preparations to move. Nowsadays most of their operators are hired under contract basics to make easy their departures.

    Most of these big foreign plants in Malaysia make products meant for the USA market, EC market and the rest of the world. Even if they export only 20% of their finished goods to the USA, they would still opted to move the whole plant away since they cannot afford to start another plant in other country just to make goods meant for the USA market only.

    We will be in deep shits if such multi-national companies move away since they are the ones employs hundreds of thousands of Malaysians and they are our big foreign currency earners.

    With such companies moving away, unemployment rate in Malaysia might easily shoot up to 15% since most Malaysians can no longer tolerate jobs such as a farmer or fisherman.

    How many more Malaysians can the Gomen takes in as public servants since Malaysia is already one of the the highest in the world in term of number of public servant per capita?

    UMO still don’t get the point how critical the FTA is to Malaysia.

    What UMO has in mind is it must protect NEP at all costs!

  42. Thanks to Dr Mahathir’s & Anwar Ibrahim’s aggressive Islamisation policies of over 20 years, fundamentalist apparatchiks andTaliban-minded bureaucrats now permeate every level of Federal and State Governments and civil service bureaucracy. They cannot be stopped by just inspirational and motivating words preaching tolerance and moderation in this pluralist land of opportunity for all. They consider such words as platitudes. You need political will to put the foot down. Where’s the will?

  43. When Abdullah became Prime Minister, he pledged to carry out Mahathir’s “unfinished business”………..
    *********************************************
    Carry out? I think is to destroy whatever Mahatir has done. He’s trying to kill Mahathir’s legacy.

    How much can he destroy or how fast can he catch up up with his work? The head is rotten, obviously the rest of the body part is just as rotten.

  44. I think one of the major flaws of AAB’s administration is that little action is taken to address issues based on whatever rules and regulations we already have.

    Instead the directive is given to form yet more committees.
    Just within the past week, there are now 2 more committees; namely one on Prices of goods and the other to manage relations with Indonesia.

    Surely the tasks of these 2 committees can be done using ASEAN links or the Consumer Affairs Ministry?

    http://malaysiawatch3.blogspot.com/2008/01/rasa-sayang-nonsense.html

    The most

  45. Malaysia, Truly Asia!?

    Yeah, if all the Japanese, Koreans, Taiwanese, Chinese, Mongolians, Indians are dead! Then with only the remaining Arabs together with the Arabs in Malaysia will be truly Arabia, not Asia.

    Even the Indonesian get pissed off with the “Rasa Sayang” song. Malaysia trying to be shark when they are just minnows!!

  46. we will see more of such religious insensitivity as we draw nearer to GE. This is the only time when the non-muslims stand up for their rites and then the muslims will feel threatened. And in the end they will again side with the ruling govt aka UMNO and vote them in for another term for fear of oppositions’ counter measures to these extremism.

  47. The rot starts with the leadership. Now every one is a leader in his own way. HMs can make their own policies. They are not scared of any one whether it is this Keris Waving Education ministers or PAk Lah or Najib.
    You know why? They always give face to them. I hate to say this. If this act is done by a non-Muslim HM asking all female prefects , irrespective of race to wear Cheongsam for official functions like receiving dignitaries, the HM in question will be kicked sky high.
    THIS IS A SAD FACT THAT WE ARE FACING!!!

  48. Hey, just remembered something. The songkok does not come fro Arab nations. The first person to make it fashinable to use the songkok was I believe Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who became the first Prime Minister of India. His was a white version though. I think Jinnah started wearing a grey or some other colour one.

    So now, if the origin of the songkok is made known as coming from India, I am sure the powers that be will rule that schools should not use the songkok!

  50. There is a co-ed school in Seri Petaling, where a group of students tried to form a swimming club. Their request was turned down, and with no reason. The parents of the students, at the Parents Teachers Association meeting raised this issue again. The headmistress told the parents in no uncertain terms – in a very polite kind of way – that it is morally not acceptable for boys and girls to mix and what more in a swimming pool.
    http://malaysiakini.com/letters/76939

  51. There is only one thing to do if we are to stop these fanatics, that is to vote them out in the coming GE. Please remember to come out to vote as these fanatics are the offsprings of those who have been voted. Remember these people were voted in by their supporters and also by those WHO DID NOT COME OUT TO VOTE. Many people always have the excuse of saying it’s my one vote only, won’t make a difference. If thousands, ten of thousands or hundreds of thousands have this attitude, no wonder BN won by landslide victories. Please remember the proverb “Little Drops of Water can make a mighty Ocean”

  52. Maybe all indians should wear one-esp those who believe in the hindraf struggle. Picture of the week:

    In the post-freedom India, two types of head wear for men stand out: The black (Gaberdine) cap and the white Gandhian cap (made with hand-spun cotton) . Among a generation, the cap also symbolized their ideaological affiliation namely the Sangh (JanSangh,RSS) and the Indian National Congress respectively.
    http://www.kamat.com/picoweek/051198.htm

  54. Instead of suspending such extremists principals, we should call for the sacking of the Minister in charge. Such extremism was started since the keris demonstration. There was another signal being transmitted since he 1st raised the keris. It was to instruct the school’s heads to start islamising all the Malaysian education system. Hishamudin is playing with fire and he will get burnt.

  55. Let us not waste our votes at the time when it matters most
    who we vote for. After being ” conditioned ” for over 22 years
    by the former regime, are we now more alert and more so with
    many rights trampled? Are we more aware of the surroundings
    around us now? Let us all wake up from the slumber for our
    own and also the next generation sake. Complacency and also indifference have no place in our multi-racial society ! Stand
    up to be counted and vote against the corrupted. Share with
    all friends and relatives and teach them to vote wisely.

    Many thanks to YB kit for his steadfast and unwavering stand
    to check the unhealthy increase of incidents where the rights
    of other races are being challenge daily.

  56. Commented by pulau_sibu :

    “Do you realise that many years back the teachers and principal would greet ’selamat petang’ or ’selamat pagi’ in schools? Suddenly there was a change in my secondary school when a muslim prinicpal came in. It became Assalaam Alaikum (I forgot the word and got it from the web, hope it is not wrong). Wasn’t this a way to Islamise our education system? May be non-muslims in the Semananjung get used to this greeting and not even questioning about it at all. Also, it killed our Malay culture because Malay no longer greets like they used to be.”

    —

    Greetings YB Kit,

    Non-Malay students are not used to it. They are just not sure where to go and complain. Just yesterday [11/1/2008], the prefect wished ‘Selamat Sejahterea’ which was really unusual. Normally, the ‘Assalaam Alaikum’ will be first wished and followed by the ‘Selamat Sejahtera’. But that day, i’m not sure what the prefect was thinking, he skipped the former version and wished the latter version. All the students echoed [Yea, they must wish along.].

    However, this Pengerus Majlis, Female Malay Teacher, who was standing beside the prefect told him to wish the ‘Assalaam Alaikum’. Shocking ! She is the killer of unity ! . I never expected that to happen. I mean on the spot. The prefect have such a good heart of skipping ‘Assalaam Alaikum’.

    I’ll always remember that. I hope she will regret it. Thanks to the major events , BERSIH, HINDRAF … etc . We are now aware !

    PS : My first comment.

  57. All hope is lost in Malaysia. our present PM just rule tthe country for 4 yrs. So many “things” happening. Crime hit the 200k mark, etc. If we allow him to rule another 5 yrs. I can’t believe what will happen..No petrol coming out for the petrol station maybe. It would be chaos…

    Imagine police’s solution to crime.. Public must come forward with information, more CCTV… Does this mean that their job is to sit at the air-con police and do nothing??? When something happen, CCTV image not clear (cannot see face, cannot see plat no, or it might be false), public didn’t come out and give information..This is rubbish..

    Btw, I wonder who is making money this time when gov order a lot of CCTVs. I henestly think CCTV is not a solution. Police’s inteligence gathering is more effective and it will be an invisible force.

  58. My contention is not about the wearing of songkok, but the way the school authorities are trying to implement this for political reasons only known to them. Personally, I feel that wearing a songkok is just donning an apparel which is culturally inclined. I see a lot of Chinese girls wearing baju kurung on Fridays, and with pride. As a Malaysian of Chinese origin, I used to dress up my sons with baju Melayu complete with the songkok and samping whenever we attended Malay wedding receptions or kenduri. On the other hand, during Chinese New Year, I have seen Malay TV news presenters wearing Traditional Chinese ancient costumes which I find quite grotesque. Reminds me of those corpse lying in Chinese coffins. Our dear friend Raja Petra enjoys wearing a French Cap (I mean French Beret). That doesn’t make him any French. But, having said all that, I strongly protest against the implementation of wearing songkok for school prefects, especially for non-malays. Schools and places of religious worships are very noble institutions, not any political playing fields.

  60. 21 September 2007, London, England: “CCTV Cameras Don’t Solve Crimes, Say London Politicians. The city has over 10,000 publicly funded CCTV cameras in public areas, but only one in five crimes are solved,” by Peter Sayer, IDG News Service.

    Surveillance cameras in London are not helping solve crime, according to local politicians. The city has over 10,000 publicly funded CCTV cameras in public areas, but only one in five crimes are solved, said Dee Doocey, a spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrats political party on the London Assembly, the elected body which determines transport and policing policy for London’s 32 boroughs and the City of London itself. Using figures obtained from the London boroughs, the Metropolitan Police Service and public transport authorities through Freedom of Information Act requests, the Liberal Democrats compared the number of crimes solved in each borough with the number of CCTV cameras installed there.

    “Our figures show that there is no link between a high number of CCTV cameras and a better crime clear-up rate,” she said. “Boroughs with thousands of CCTV cameras are no better at doing so than those which have a few dozen.”

    Proponents of CCTV’s usefulness usually focus on its role in preventing crime, rather than solving it. But although the cameras across London’s public transport system allowed police officers to identify within a few days those responsible for the July 7, 2005, tube-train bombings in the city, the cameras did nothing to prevent the attack. And a detailed study of 14 public CCTV installations in a 2005 report by the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, “Assessing the impact of CCTV,” concluded that “the CCTV schemes that have been assessed had little overall effect on crime levels.”

    Over the last decade, London’s CCTV cameras have cost taxpayers there around 200 million pounds ($401 million), Doocey said, calling for a broader debate on the city’s policing.

  61. The regency of Pesisir Selatan in West Sumatra passed a “Muslim Clothing” Act (Peraturan Daerah 04 Berpakaian Muslim dan Muslimah) on 5th September 2005.

    Article 5
    The Requirements

    * Every employee, university student, junior high and high school student, is required to wear Islamic clothing, while the rest of society is encouraged to.

    Article 6
    The Implementation

    * The wearing of Muslim clothing is to be done at both government and private offices, education institutions from junior high school onwards, and at official functions.
    * People in general are urged to dress Islamically in their daily lives including when they are at public entertainment events.
    http://www.indonesiamatters.com/1099/muslim-clothing/

  62. Its absolutely incomprehensible to think that we have an education minister receiving full pay on the job and obviously failing miserably. He should be given the sternest admonition to pull up his socks & starts cleaning up the mess in schools.

    The standard in our schools has fallen so drastically over the years that it is now a common known fact that we are at least one year behind the standard of schools in Singapore.

    Do we want to see us falling further behind?

  65. 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.

  66. Toyolbuster, I agree with you. Our keris wielding Education Minister should be sacked. He is the extremist and is solely responsible for the failure of our education system. Before him is of course Anwar who is equally responsible.

  67. If the wearing of the songkok is a tradition as explained by Kanasaikia, we’ll be barking up the wrong tree. The complainant can decline the post if he feels so against wearing the songkok.
    To be fair, in the case of PFS opposite the Jawi signage is the English. It’s just that it’s against the flow of traffic so one going into the school may think one is entering an Islamic school.
    But the point is that whether in schools or in society at large , when little Napoleons “trample on cultural and religious rights and sensitivities in a plural society ” it is imperative that action be taken, and be seen to be taken to not only right the wrong but to punish the officer concerned.

  68. ///If moderation does not take centre stage, we will all be dragged into extremism, from the basis of religion, race or groups. He said Malaysia was a land of opportunity, where everyone knew how to respect one another and how to give and take. ///– PM AAB, Star: Thursday December 27, 2007

    We are already in the midst of extremism, not on the way there. The decision to be moderate lies with the persons who are vested with power to do so. The little Napoleons are all enjoying government salaries and security, and they are all allowed to carry on with their old ways. They are encouraged that no actions have been taken against them even when their actions are known by the all powerful human being in this land; and it is time that corruptions done under the table be raised above, and be performed openly.

    This is the land of opportunities for those who retail their power that accompanies the posts, in government services. They know perfectly how to respect each others’ assets, the give and take of money and power.

  69. 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.

    I wonder if all the Indians were to start wearing the Nehru or Gandhi headgear, the Government would ban it or make more arrests under the ISA. It is an idea. Instead of demonstrating in the streets, start a silent protest, Gandhi style, by wearing the Indian headgear.

    As for the Chinese, only the MCA top guns should be wearing headgears, you know those worn by the ancient corrupted Chinese officers, preferably with a a long moustache hanging down both sides or ends of the lips. Chan Kong Choy should keep a longer moustache and he would be and look like a personification of corruption. Whenever I see our Chinese Ministers wearing a songkok, particularly Ling Liong Sik, the image of the corrupted ancient Chinese court officials with the cynical smile comes to mind. It is a natural thing, so don’t blame me. I cannot help it.

    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 in 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 insist 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.

  70. The similar case almost happened to S.M.K. Green Road, my former school.

    My mother is a teacher there and there was one time, ‘someone’ proposed that all the teachers despite of race should wear baju kurung. It did not happened because most of the non-Malay teachers strongly refuse to accept that change.

    That’s good news to me, but I believe that in some schools, the teachers had no choice. For example, a school in Limbang. I’m not sure whether were the teachers forced to wear baju kurung and cannot say for a certain, but I haven’t seen any teacher there who wears other than that even though I was there for a day or two.

  71. Kanasaikia, it cannot be a tradition dating back 30 years. More than 30 years ago when my dad taught there at EC, there were no songkoks. And 30 years ago when my brother studied there, there were no songkoks used too. So try pulling the other leg!

  72. As a parent, I’m very disappointed over the “songkok” issue because my son also a prefect in EC. Forcing the students to wear songkok otherwise would be excluded from any formal functions of the school is ridiculous and stupid action. If all non-Muslim students would have left EC, can you imaging what will happen to the school’s academic achivements? Don’t forget even we are only the minority in the school, yet we are always the top scorers there.

  73. Well, i say nearly 30 years coz my teacher (indian teacher) who is oso ex-ec prefect when she is in form 6 told us that dis songkok thing started to be implemeted during det time. She is now currently 40+ so i just do assumption it existed for nearly 30 years but not over. Nearly..

  74. has kerismuddin proposed any positive policy or changes of his own to education? Nil. yes he is a racist and an extremist. kana could be a cybertrooper. the wearing of songkoks by non muslims prefects can never be a tradition dating back 30 years ago in EC. even 20 years malay woman dont even wear tudung. its a recent phenomenon going back about 10 to 15 years. islamisation only started creeping into malay and malaysian culture in the last 10 years.

  76. To force school prefects to wear songkok is a small issue compare to in some worst case like blatant discrimination against non bumi students. Anyway songkok is not originally a head gear invented by the Malays but they copied it from India with slight modification, hopefully India will not sue them for copyright infringement and demand payment.

    We should be more concerned in discrimination like my daughter who is a non bumi study in a 95% bumi school, this school has organised many Islamic events during the school hours that the non bumi students must hung out in the school canteen during these events. Because of that my daughter has to skip school for quite a number of days each year!

    She got 4As, 2Bs and 1C for PMR and was told that she is not good enough for Science Class, to her bitterness she came home and complain that the School is not fair,because there are quite a number of Bumi students who has 1 or 2As and they are allocated in Science stream.

    The point is non Muslim are being discriminate at a young age and our Dear P.M. expect them to grow up being moderate?

    I have since yanked her out from this school and move to a school in K.L. where the racial mix is more balance.

    Dear MCA members, please tell me why I should vote for BN and be discriminated?

  77. After completing my ‘ contract’, I left the teaching service. I was sent to ‘national’ schools’ then. Some of the jokers who finally became big time politicians were the very culprits who ‘tuang’ classes or attended classes half an hour late most of the days. The only time they were in time was for the ‘assembly’ talks, spending , at times , over an hour to preach’, students were known to have collapsed. Why? Many did not have breakfast! In the end, there were speeches and speeches. At the end of the year, those subjects taught by these ‘politicians’ mostly ended in Ps and C6s. Their conscience was not affected. Karangan was only given at the begining of the year, after two sets were written by the students, those exercise books were never seen again!!!
    A friend was asked to teach GP at form 6, results for the first 2 years were very good. OH! how could a non-Bumi teach their mother tongue? Change! Result ? nearly 40% failed. There was no concern for the students’ future! False pride came first. Likewise, teaching Maths was also considered as racial pride, where possible find a Bumi Maths teacher who would ended up by telling his students that the answers given at the back of the book were wrong!!!! No wonder, they all struggled to aim only Ps.
    what I am saying is they [ the politicians] had created so much false pride in their society, they would do anything to ‘advertise’ their ‘achievements’. Based on such approach, no society can progress. You are cheating yourselves and no one else. And I don’t think the situation has changed much. those with connections were invariably promoted; the smarter ones, sooner than later, would leave. The balance woukld be the ‘politicians’ and those who couldn’t find other jobs. Just look what had happened to those ‘ well-known’ schools? They think by associating the students to a particular school, their results can improve!! And to-day, we certainly have more PhDs in the education ministry than ever before. Results? Ha,Ha, Ha!! Let’s trace the performances of ALL who scored 12 As and above at SPM level. Where are they? What have they achieved at University level and what has become of them in life? As I have said before, the only hope could be PRAYERS for the country!!

  78. The Little Napoleons and Osamas are Kings and above
    the law in this country like King Zakaria and his Palace!

    No punishment or laws to suspend their duties and the
    whole situation and system in M’sia is shamble and
    beyond control and no rules to regulate the ‘Outlaws’!!

    Everyone wants to be King and Queen and M’sia is
    famous for – Mana Ada System (MAS) ?!

    We are all immuned to M.A.S. already and No more
    feelings…!! What about You?

  79. Met a father and son in a supermarket awhile ago. Chat was changed to the coming GE. I told them ‘must vote any opposition’ this time. They said ‘no, no, if the fight is between BN non-Malay and opposition non-Malay, vote the opposition. If the fight is between BN non-Malay and opposition Malay, must vote BN non-Malay’.

    I told them the messy situation in the country is because of UMNO, to which they fully agreed. That’s why we need a strong Malay opposition who can work with non-Malay opposition such as DAP to pressure UMNO to do the right thing. UMNO has always take for granted that they will get full support from the Malays (with the NEP and religion carrots) for their non-Malay proxy, and predicting the non-Malays will never vote for Malay opposition candidate, so their BN non-Malay proxy will surely win a seat to help them form the next government with strong majority for another 5 years to ‘reap the harvest’. It is useless to vote-in the non-Malay candidate who are only ‘yes-man’ to their UMNO boss.

    Please share out with your non-Malay friends who have the same mindset. YES, WE NEED A STRONG MALAY OPPOSITION TO CHANGE THE COUNTRY FOR THE BETTER!

  80. oknyua Says:
    It became an issue because of the connotation is brings. In Malaysia it implies Islam, and a surrender of our ethnic rights to Malays/Islam.
    ———————-
    True… so true and i felt compel to add ..

    Sadly, by their own (UMNO) creation and policies , the very word “Malay” whether you like it or not, has come to be associated with “weakness”, “suppressive”, “racial”, arrogant and even “irrational” The word could or might well one day, be used to mean just that.

    Watch the New Zealander rugby prayers proudly doing their native war dance ! Why ? Simple … it signifies strength even the white new zealander love to be associated with. Look how a lot of us embrace western jeans without question.

    Sorry UMNO, it will take a long long long time to undo what had been done.

    Simple FACT! If wearing a songkok is accepted by the community to signify STRENGTH and LOVE, damn! some folk would cry having the honor to just wear it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I hope this is not seen as against the race – Malay, but very much against the policies ironically created to fool the Malay of their supremacy. I do hope this an eye opener.

  81. “They said ‘no, no, if the fight is between BN non-Malay and opposition non-Malay, vote the opposition. If the fight is between BN non-Malay and opposition Malay, must vote BN non-Malay’. chaikchua

    For as long as voting remains along racial lines and along personalities rather then issues, party and ideology, Malaysia will remain a fractured nation.

  82. first ” allah ” issue
    Now ” songkok issue”

    Well all my chinese and indian brothers, now is the right time for the change.

    Throw these fellas out into the streets, and let them have a taste of their own medicine,

    CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE

  83. You are talking about this songkok thing.

    Baju kurung for promotion. Baju kurung that is oversized ( no curves seen ) and covering the aurat is the dress code if you are eyeing for a promotion. Especially if you are visiting a certain Ministry. Make sure these big guys don’t see you in something else.

    The government wants to project to the whole wide world that Malaysians are Malays.

    Let’s deviate a little bit more. Locally made films can be Chinese, can be Indian, can be alien but must speak in Bahasa Malaysia. In this case, somebody please tell Zainuddin Mydin that he will have to make Baba Nyonya films and Chitty films.

    Supposing if I seem racist, actually I am trying to tell you all that without our own identities, we are nobodies.

  84. 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?

  86. 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.

  87. Things like these insensitivities of other races happen from time to time in this MalaySia. Those in the authorities, whether they be in the education, cultural or political make decisions that will really test your resolves as non-Muslim. This is kinda very mischiveous, unwarranted, unrealistic and non-literate in our Malaysian Constitution of Religious Freedom. Being the majority does not give you the right to ‘trample’ others. Be more caring of others if that is what religions teach us as human, not zealots.
    Malaysia, Truly Asia?

  91. Lingam tape: Businessman goes public
    K Kabilan & Steven Gan | Jan 12, 08 11:32pm
    Businessman Loh Mui Fah today disclosed that it was his son who had recorded the Lingam tape, finally putting to rest the question of the controversial clip’s authenticity.

    YB Lim,

    I am waiting for your response statement. Oh, what a big Bang kick off for 2008. It’s going to be very busy.

  92. Hi

    Time to change Government. Malay, Chinese and Indians should wake up or pull up their socks. Matter coming bad to worst.

    Upgrading the standard is not there. They do not know how to bring up the standard and use their brain. Firstly PM and the Kris Minister should resign. PM does not know what is happening in the ground. Kris Minister only know how to carry Kris and threaten the non Malays because this fellows control the polis and DG Patil. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN

  93. My wife who was graduate from University Malaya told me that: “the most intense feeling of race/religion differences was during her universities day due to encounters that i think i need not further illustrate now.”

    Despite studying in SRJK(C) primary, and ChongHwa secondary school, she does not feel anything on racial tension at all. The feelings only appear when it comes to LOCAL university days.

    Looks like this contagious disease is starting to spread from university to secondary school, probably later to primary school.
    Please stop this cancer spreading…

  95. I believe Malays, Chinese and Indians could live together in harmony, sharing their experiences and over time a nation would grow. It is the UMNO run government that is making sure that the races remain separated and divided. How else could UMNO leaders ensure the party’s political relevance and their own?

    The electoral formula UMNO-MCA-MIC based as it is on race (and later merged into what is today the national coalition) may have worked well in the early stages but is proving to be a liability in terms of national unity. It is a self-perpetuating political system that has resulted in the declining integrity of the political process in order to ensure its survival.

    It is proving to be an anachronism and the sooner we recognize it the better it would be in the long run.

  96. In Taiwan,the opposition KMT has thrashed the ruling DPP with 81 seats against 27 seats in the national legislative election.Taiwan,a truly democratic state sees her people exercising their voting right to throw out the rotten DPP.Will this scenario be repeated in this country soon?

  97. Wednesday, July 26, 2006
    Irish International University Again!
    I wrote quite extensively a while back on the issue of “bogus universities” in our presence. Part I was on Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, UMNO Putera’s chief who proudly paraded his Masters in Business Administration credentials, which was purchased from a bogus Preston university. Part II covered the use of honorific titles from dubious institutions even in the religious fraternity. And Part III spoke about our very own Ministry of Higher Education and Public Service Department’s complicity in lending credibility to these dodgy institutions including a certain “Irish International University”.

    http://educationmalaysia.blogspot.com/2006/07/irish-international-university-again.html

  98. To quote our Parliamentary opposition leader, Lim Kit Siang in his statement made on the above issue:

    What is shocking is that the Ministry of Higher Education and the JPA had been parties to the scam by the Irish International University and the Cambridgeshire University [another dodgy university attempting to “pass off” as something more], whose degrees are not accredited nor recognized in the United Kingdom, United States or Ireland, by giving written assurances to Malaysians that their degrees were recognized by the Malaysian government.

    It is indeed shocking that it was made known by Kit Siang that these written assurances include:

    * A letter by JPA dated 13th December 1999 on recognition of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees of the Irish International University, provided the first degree is recognized by the government.

    * A letter by Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education dated 31st October 2003 that the courses of Cambridgeshire University for Ijazah Pertama, Ijazah Sarjana and Ijazah Kedotoran are recognized by the Ministry.

    * A letter by JPA dated 21st June 2004 that Cambridgeshire University is among the list of universities recognized by JPA.
    http://educationmalaysia.blogspot.com/2005/08/bogus-universities-iii.html

  99. To those who cannot write in proper English, please refrain from writing. You are lowering the level and the standard of English.

    Young people, please do not impose, brag or give false information. Thank you.

  100. # sebol Says:
    I think this issue shouldnt be political.
    I dont think “UMNO” want the student to wear songkok.
    What if Sultan Johor order his Maktab student to wear songkok?
    ———————————-
    Actually the whole issue is not political… It’s what’s done, shockingly to include shamelessness of the ruling party in regards to “bogus universities” mentioned by Tickler, the degradation of the anything associated with the very race they are trying to protect.

    if umno does not want the ‘student to wear songkok’, they should have done something unless something very wrong here.

    My opinion is the Umno-malay themselves have lost any respect if any at all for their own Sultans. Any things Cultural/traditional
    should have to be debated and discussed by the Sultans. This is what the non-malay called “RESpect”.

    The same as anything islamic must be consulted with the THE International Islamic body! not the uMNO islamic version, definitely not the extreme Islamic version. If not checked, what if any, the UMNO has to unsure the Malaysian they would not go into the “TERROR” version.
    May God bless malaysia

  101. “To those who cannot write in proper English, please refrain from writing. You are lowering the level and the standard of English.
    Young people, please do not impose, brag or give false information. Thank you.” max2811

    If you were referring to Kanasaikia’s post, many people send SMS that way to reduce the number of characters. You just go for the sound when you read it, not the spelling.
    I come to this blog because I am more interested about information, ideas, and the comedy.
    I can overlook the English as long as I understand what the poster is saying.
    To demand a high level of English in today’s Malaysia is asking a bit too much.
    But it is up to the owner of this blog whether to agree with you, and impose the conditions you seek.
    I am curious how you know the person who “impose, brag or give false information” is a young person.

  102. UMNO is fast using `terror` tactics and they learnt that a long time back. Not to forget that the Education Minister comes from Johor, and Johor delegates form one of the largest groups to UMNO general assemblies, and that the PM needs their support very badly.

  103. There is a language mistake in my previous post and I better correct it before max2811 crucifies me.
    “I come to this blog because I am more interested about information, ideas, and the comedy.” should be
    “I come to this blog because I am more interested in the information, ideas, and the comedy.”

  104. Sometimes we may have to overlook the poor English used by the young people these days.I have spoken to young working local graduates and was quite dismayed at their command of English.They could not master the parts of speech and also failed to use the correct tense.Most of the time they mixed BM with English and frequently used the ‘ma’ and the ‘la’ in ending sentences.However,the low standard of English today is the result of the switching of the English medium of instruction in schools to BM in the early 80s.With that Malaysians lost their fame in their command of English and we are now witnessing a whole generation has been sacrificed and wasted by the implementation of the unwise language policy.

  105. As I have mentioned in the other thread, we have to look at all the facts first before arriving at a conclusion.
    If Kanasaikia is right about the songkok being part of the ceremonial uniform for the prefects in MSAB for many years (and another poster has confirmed that to be true in the other thread), wouldn’t it make us all look a bit stupid to make it an issue for nothing? Wouldn’t that also make YB Lim lose some credibility for asking the principal of MSAB to be suspended if it is true that the songkok has been a tradition for several years?
    The person who complained should check the facts first before causing other people in trouble.
    Both Malays and non-Malays may have misconceptions about the songkok.
    So, YB Lim should instead ask the govt to announce whether the songkok should be an Islamic symbol to inform both Malays and non-Malays, and then proceed from there.
    Otherwise, it would be tragic if a Chinese gets beaten up by an ignorant Malay mob if he happens to eat or buy pork in his ceremonial head gear on his way home from an official function.

  106. A friend of mine told be that this practice is also prevalent in Sekolah Sultan Abdul Jalil, Kluang ,Johor.

    YB Lim could you check it out and highlight the matter and get this dungus kicked out of the education system.

  107. 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!

  108. Mr Lim,
    The MOE and PM are just as dumb as usual. They cannot make decision.
    They should make it known to all HMs and Education officers that guide lines and policies of the school have been fixed. At no timeshould they introduce any extra dress codes or practices, like segregating males from females.
    If they were to do that, the officials or HM should be sacked because they are going against national policies

  109. YB Lim could you check it out and highlight the matter and get this dungus kicked out of the education system.- greenacre

    YB can only do that if the people elect a new govt. to replace the odious BN.

  110. Not only Pak Lah is sleeping and let the ministers in his cabinet run the country, it looks like the ministers are sleeping as well. If Kerismuddin stops weilding his keris and stop dozing at every opportunity, then we won’t have little Osamas run riot in their little fiefdoms.
    Ever since the Malay agenda became prominent, every dungu seems to outdo the other. All these clowns can do as they please because because the head honcho is getting to be senile.

  111. Maybe to solve the problem of the songkok wearing enforcement for the prefects would be to teach the malays how the songkok become part of the malay traditional costume.

    you see, the songkok does not originate from malaysia, indonesia or thailand.

    it originated from india and had been worn by the indian muslims there. so you see the little napoleans, ministers or the malays do not really know or couldn’t be bothered to know or simply ignorant of their own culture.

    let not the indians stake a claim to this episode and did what indonesians had done to the rasa sayange traditional song.

  112. I refer to Old Geezer’s posting at 1:52.29 questioning Max2811 why Max2811 was making an issue of Kanasaikia’s English
    and how Max2811 would know that the person (Kanasaikia) “who impose, brag or give false information” is a young person.

    To Old Geezer, I can understand where Max2811 is coming from, and I urge you to consider the following:

    1. Kanasaikia made his defence of the songkok for prefect system Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar (formerly English College) (“EC”) not in one but two or three threads in this blog. (This shows determined motivation to defend EC’s position).
    2. His first defence of EC was written in complete sentences – eg “ I’m a prefect in EC currently” (Old Geezer, this is where Max2811 knew that Kanasaikia was a young person, quite apart from his other enquiries that Max2811 said he made) “& 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.” See: thread here – http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/01/11/894/
    3. Kanasaikia’s version was refuted and challenged by Dranony in his posting of 11 Jan in this thread link – http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/01/11/894/
    Dranony posted this : “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.”
    4. Strangely, when Dranony posted this accusation, kanasaikia came out in own defence in a completely different gibberish English different in style and language from the one that he first posted eg : “Well! Y i say i’m vetaran becoz i study in dis school for nearly 7 years even thought 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.” See this link – http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/01/11/songkok-compulsory-wear-for-jb-english-college-prefects/
    5. Kanasaikia, in your posting you said in clear English“ “I’m a prefect in EC currently” which is not completely in sync or consistent with your latter posting “i study in dis school for nearly 7 years even thought 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)”
    6. Kanasaikia, with all respect, I think you have created a credibility problem for yourself here. I am beginning to think that if what Dranony said is true – and I am more inclined to believe Dranony – you may well have an agenda in writing what you did, as if to deliberately diffuse and deflect the attention of this blog or LKS or the public from the recent goings on in Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar (formerly English College) (“EC”) as if this is quite normal (songkok for prefects) for many years. Why are you doing this? Are you still currently a prefect of EC (as you suggested) doing this to help your principal?

    Old Geezer, you said that “if Kanasaikia is right about the songkok being historically a part of the ceremonial uniform for many years, won’t it make us all a bit stupid to be making a storm in a tea-cup for nothing? Both Malays and non-Malays may have misconceptions about the songkok. So, ask the govt to announce whether the songkok should be an Islamic symbol to inform both Malays and non-Malays, and then proceed from there.”

    I would say in response to what you said:
    (a) whether songkok is historically a part of the ceremonial uniform for many years in EC is the present issue in contention. What Kanasaikia said and the way he said it in 2 postings is suspect. We have Dranony who contradicted Kanasaikia. Do you have a reason not to believe Dranony’s version?
    (b) Even if it was a ceremonial uniform for many years in EC for prefects – this is not so for secondary schools nation wide, so are you saying that it is alright for EC to continue if this is wrong and the prefect and his parent object?
    (c) On issue of right and wrong, you seem to opine that that is determined, on the question of fact, whether the Songkok is an Islamic symbol, and you’re suggesting that the govt should be asked to announce whether it is.

    No, I don’t think it revolves on whether Songkok is an Islamic symbol. It revolves around whether the Songkok is a Malay cultural emblem and symbol to which others like the boy prefect have to subscribe. Do you dispute that it is?

    We all know Islam is very much a part of the Malay cultural identity. That notwithstanding, the objections to what EC has done revolves on the premise that Songkok is a Malay emblem.

    To ask whether a Songkok is an Islamic symbol, and to say that fact has to be ascertained before we discuss further and judge the issue, is to point a wrong direction of where the discussion should be heading. It is a red herring that distracts the discussion here from the main issue.

  113. Thx jeffery to make a summary on it. Ok! I wana say that i don’t wish to side anyone. I have given my view in my latest blog post. If u all feel free then go n hv a look. Yes, i’m still a EC prefect & a student there. If you still suspect my credibility than come to EC. I will introduce myself to everyone & bring you all around. See-ing is better than listening.

  115. BTW I have just discovered a posting by mindenn on January 11th, 2008 at 00: 02.52 (21 hours ago) in this thread link – http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/01/11/songkok-compulsory-wear-for-jb-english-college-prefects/ in which he said “I grad from EC 6 years ago, during that times all the male prefects wore the songkok regardless of races as told by Kanasaikia, so it’s really not a new issue in EC”. However JB EC Parent said “My son who is in Form Five this year, has been a Prefect in EC since he was in Form Two”.

    There seems to be a genuine dispute as to facts here. The only way to explain it is that the practice of requiring male prefects to wear songkok is an “off and on” thing; it isn’t a new thing if it was implemented 6 years ago (but certainly could not be as far back as 30 years ago as Kanasaikia appeared to suggest in his first posting), but apparently it wasn’t implemented in last 3 years based on what JB EC Parent said “My son who is in Form Five this year, has been a Prefect in EC since he was in Form Two” (when obviously there was no such thing).

    In view of the doubt as to facts, I would retract what I said to Kanasaikia about “I think you have created a credibility problem for yourself here” and ” Why are you doing this? Are you still currently a prefect of EC (as you suggested) doing this to help your principal?”.

    I however stand by whatever rest I said about the issue.
    The rest

  116. I am also a student of Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar. It is compulsory for all of the Muslim students to wear the baju melayu and songkok on Friday. However, I’m not sure that the school has the authority to force the students to wear those. Moreover, in the top Form Two class, there are 24 Muslims and only 11 non- Muslims even though many of the non-Muslims in the more lower classes outperformed the Muslims in the top class in studies.

  117. Thanks Jeffrey for summarising the problem.
    It is obvious from the posting of daniel
    (See:
    http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/01/11/894/#comment-69440 )
    that songkoks were NOT part of the compulsory uniform in the mid seventies.
    However, mindenn said that 6 years ago, it was part of the uniform.
    (See here:
    http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/01/11/songkok-compulsory-wear-for-jb-english-college-prefects/#comment-69317 )
    So Jeffrey may be right that this is an “on and off” thing.

    However, many of Jeffrey’s points are valid, esp these:
    (http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/01/12/suspend-little-napoleon-school-principals-who-trample-on-rights-and-sensitivities-of-plural-malaysia/#comment-69465 )
    “Even if it was a ceremonial uniform for many years in EC for prefects – this is not so for secondary schools nation wide, so are you saying that it is alright for EC to continue if this is wrong and the prefect and his parent object?
    We all know Islam is very much a part of the Malay cultural identity. That notwithstanding, the objections to what EC has done revolves on the premise that Songkok is a Malay emblem.”

    The original letter questioning whether Sikhs have a right to resist compulsory wearing of the songkok, remains unanswered.
    Are Sikhs exempted from wearing the songkok? If Sikhs are exempted from wearing the songkok, where then is the uniformity?
    Or are Sikhs excluded from being appointed to become an EC prefect?

    This then makes me wonder – now that policewomen are compelled to wear the tudung, how many policewomen who are chinese or indian have enlisted as policewomen?

  118. Take them to court. the civil court not the shariah court. And if the civil courts judges say that the songkok is a symbol of islam than go to the syariah court.

    Unless you tell UMNO that the songkok is not a Malay invention but from India(what a place) than the songkok will be dropped.

  120. “This then makes me wonder – now that policewomen are compelled to wear the tudung, how many policewomen who are chinese or indian have enlisted as policewomen?”

    I think there is a difference between the ‘songkok’ and the ‘hijab’ (or tudung as it is referred to). The ‘hijab’ serves a religious function i.e. to cover the hair of the Muslim women from public view. She can take it off at home.

    Not so with the ‘songkok’. It is more a traditional Malay attire of choice when you are attending official ceremonies like weddings and funerals or mosques. Islam does not mandate a Muslim male to cover his hair while praying. But the women do need to put on the ‘hijab’ to pray.

    Any Muslims around?

  121. I always thought the songkok in malaysia is islamic by observation. They usually wear it in the mosque and when you became a “Haji” you dont wear it anymore but a white cap of some sort.
    Correct me if I am wrong ?
    The Flag of Malaysia has an islamic Cresent, but no nobody seem to have any problem with that.
    I believe as present, wearing a songkok for the non-malay would not be readily accepted as the normal thing to do and making it a rule would be seem as arrogant or even stupid.
    But of course we always have people like Kanasaikia who probably doesnt quite give a shit to sure a thing.

  122. Jeffrey, unless you are “max2811”, he/she did not specifically mention Kanasaikia and appeared to be making a general statement. He/she said “Young people, please do not impose, brag or give false information. Thank you.”

    There are posters (probably Malays, even on RPK blog) who mentioned that the songkok has nothing to do with Islam, and some here even said it is not of Malaysian origin. But then, there are also Malays who think it is Islamic and some may even be upset for the non-Malays to touch it. Likewise, as is evident here, there are non-Malays who think it is Islamic.
    With such conflicting views, what responsible suggestion would you give in a situation like this?
    What official headgear would you suggest for the uniformed corps that has a Malaysian identity? I asked that question in another thread and nobody has suggested one. Ask the St John Ambulance people why they picked the songkok-like cap more than 30 years ago? I just checked their website and it is still part of their ceremonial uniform.
    Asking the govt to clarify is not diverting the issue but to make it clear for everybody so that Malays and non-Malays can feel comfortable seeing a non-Malay wearing one.
    When there is an official dress code, you have to respect it, like you don’t wear a necktie with a batik shirt. Otherwise, you can just choose to stay away from the function.
    There is a reason I bring this up and it involves the DAP.
    When the DAP ADUNs and MPs are required to meet the Agong or Sultans and if there is a dress code that involves the songkok for the men, what would the DAP ADUNs or MPs do?
    Before somebody suggest boycotting the Audience with the Agong or Sultans, let me remind them that, as citizens, all Malaysians have sweared allegiance to the Agong and the Sultans. By being elected representatives of the people, the DAP ADUNS and MPs represent the wishes of the people. So, you have to meet the Royalty and follow the protocol.
    An opposition party should have a platform policy that it only represents different policies and ideas in the running of the country, and for the common good of the country (inclusive of the Malays and non-Malays). It should assuage others that its aim is not to turn the country upside down by disrespecting the Agong and Sultans, or the system of government.
    In Japan, Britain and other Western countries, voting the opposition into power does not alter their traditional respect for the Royalty or the system of government.
    The DAP should earn respect from the Agong and Sultans by first of all respecting the position of the Royalty and to follow the royal protocol. If the protocol involves wearing the songkok, so be it.
    Otherwise, the DAP would find it hard to earn the trust of the Malays and the Royalty; and would have no credibility as a responsible political organization working for all Malaysians.
    I am old enough to know that people do give bad advice and suggestion to get you into trouble. Just like a scene in a movie where a man stands on the ledge of a high rise, attempting to jump. People would gather around and some would try to dissuade him not to jump, but others simply chant “jump, jump, jump”. Which would you follow?

  123. My English is getting crappy.
    Grammatical mistake in my posting above..
    “sweared” should be “swore”.
    “dissuade him not to jump” should be “dissuade him from jumping”.
    There may be more but you all know what I meant.

  124. Maybe I should just stop checking my own posting or to compose it somewhere else first before submitting.
    “have sweared” should be “have sworn”.
    “somebody suggest” should be “somebody suggests”

  125. Thanks for the comments/discussion, Old Geezer,

    My Response:

    1. My comments have proceeded based on your own hypothetical context – “If you were referring to Kanasaikia’s post” – in relation to what max2811 said about “Young people, please do not impose, brag or give false information” that max2811 has, so far, not denied.

    2. The “songkok” (traditional Malay cap) is a headdress worn with the traditional outfit for men of Malay race in Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia and although there are some differences of opinions whether it is also Islamic, I rather think it is not considering that not all muslims in other countries like say Saudi Arabia, Iran or even Taliban Afghan wear it. It is not like the‘hijab’ that undergrad2 has, in his above posting, drawn a clear distinction. Anyway since many postings here objecting to EC’s prefect attire are based on hegemonic cultural imposition of the majority race, I supposed it does not matter, in this context, to argue whether songkok is more Malay or Islamic a headgear.

    3. Regarding St John Ambulance people, the fact that their caps look or are shaped like the “songkok” do not make them “songkoks” as the term “songkok” is defined or understood. The “fez” used in Morocco, Greece or Balkans (and head gear of J Nehru) also look in shape like Songkok but one can’t call them a songkok. Some headgears of military in Britain & US are also shaped like songkok but that does not make it one. In fact I think they call it the shape of “pileus” hat.

    4. Lastly, there is really no basis to compare the issue of prefect uniform in Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar (formerly English College) with that of dress code required as part of Palace Court rituals, regalia and etiquette when (Non Malays whether DAP ADUNs and MPs) seeking an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or Sultans including during the taking of the Oath, Installation Ceremony, Birthday and Investiture Ceremonies.

    Respecting the position of the Royalty and whatever the justifications of following the royal protocol are not the samme justifications for and should not used to justify requiring the wearing of songkok by prefects of Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar.

  127. Now we come to semantics of what is a “songkok”.
    Just to cut short any argument about that, this is what is on St John Ambulance Malaysia website on official headgear:

    (ref:http://www.sjam.org.my/images/1001/uniform2.pdf)
    SONGKOK
    Black songkok 90 mm (3 1/2 inches) high. Base of songkok to have a white silver lining. The
    Songkok may be worn by all ranks in Ceremonial Order accordance with the provisions of the
    orders of dress described in Orders of dress.

  128. On the subject of what is Islamic and religious and what is Malay and may have religious connotations to the Malays, there are gestures and not just attires that are un-Islamic.

    For example, the ‘sembah’ is definitely un-Islamic. You only ‘sembah’ Tuhan and when a Malay ‘sembah’ their parents and Malay sultans (not Governors?) they are what Muslims say ‘menduakan Tuhan’ – and to say that it is consistent with Islamic theology is blasphemy.

    Malays ‘sembah’ and kiss the hand of members of the royalty. There is nothing Islamic there.

    Tun Razak and Tun Hussein never accepted the ‘sembah’ and the kissing of their hand from members of the public – which are reserved for Malay royalty. Mahathir broke that tradition and accepted both as if he was royalty.

    There is confusion even among Malays about what is Islamic and what is non-Islamic and what is just Malay tradition. So under the circumstance should you expect non-Malays to understand the difference?

  129. Questions for Old Geezer,
    Did the Agong and Sultans make Songkok the “Official” headgear for all Malaysian or just for the Malay?
    Since you have to bring the DAP here, did the Agong and Sultans also give only the Malay special Privilege even over-looking the poor NON Malay ?
    What if the Agong and Sultans make it a “protocol” for all the non-malay to change their name to Malay name which is also Islamic Name, would you still say ” SO BE IT ! ”
    Somehow Malaysian embrace the Batik without question but not the Songkok, Why ?
    Why should the headgear of Malaysia you suggested be Songkok which do not reflect the ” multi-culture living in harmony ” Malaysia is trying to tell the world ?
    Would wearing a songkok signified “Trust” and if so what about the Malay wearing Hindu headgear to prove they also trust the Hindu ??
    Please list some of the Royal’s “Protocol” for DAP to follow.
    Do you know of any countries in the world that forbid the malay not to wear songkok if they choose to wear it ?
    Did you know the OFFICIAL Religion in Malaysia is ISLAM ? By the same token, do all Malaysian HAVE to be converted to win the trust of the Malay ?
    The Official Language in Malaysia is Bahasa Malaysia, but usage of English on subject such as Science is encouraged, Why ?
    How old are you ?
    Today you will be another day older and i hope you could see you could very much contributed in giving a bad “suggestion”

  131. Jeffrey, there are different headgears for different occasions, just like the police wearing blue uniform for normal duty but something white and elaborate for parades, etc. That is why we have the term dress uniform or ceremonial uniform.
    My political stand is always moderate. I can be liberal on some issues and very conservative on others, but also believe there is a middle ground on many issues.
    Some in UMNO are extreme on the other end and I can see from this blog that some in DAP can also be seen as extreme on this end.
    But first and foremost, it is important that discussions and criticisms be on facts and not knee-jerk reactions.
    I have always advocate caution when making critical comments.
    According to some arguments here, the songkok is Malay and since Malay is Muslim, therefore songkok is Muslim. Wouldn’t that be an excuse for not wearing a songkok if demanded by a royal protocol in the audience before the Royalty? This is the type of argument that can be disastrous for a political party that claims to represent all Malaysians.
    DAP can fall into this trap involving the songkok and the Royal protocol if they don’t adopt the correct policy for its ADUNs and MPs.
    I remember reading some time ago about DAP ADUNs not attending a Royal ceremony in one of the states for some reasons. That did not give a good impression among the Malays.
    If we simply act on every complaint by somebody without first studying the issue and the facts, there would be riots in Malaysia every now and then.
    That type of mentality does not bode well for the future of a multi-cultural Malaysia.
    As someone commented in one of the blogs, wearing Malay attire especially on official occasion as required by protocol does not make one any less of a Christian or Buddhist.
    My PhD hood is based on a headgear of Medieval Christian monks. I am not a Christian but should that offend me? Should Muslim be offended? No, that would be really foolish. I am not a Muslim either and a songkok as an official attire would not offend me.
    Scorpion6666, I won’t bother arguing with you because it is obvious your comments are a bit extreme, unreasonable and rude.
    I am going to change my handle and won’t bother replying.

  133. It all boils down to a perception of “hegemonic cultural imposition of the majority race,” as Jeffrey puts it so accurately.

    The majority race has to realize that there must exist a sense of mutual understanding, and of mutual respect. This unfortunately seems to be lost on those who are in minor positions of power, preferring instead to impose their beliefs and values and cultural preferences unto the minority races.

    Like some have said, if the minorities were simply left to choose for themselves, many may well adopt some cultural practices willingly. The wearing of Batek is a good example.

    However, the forceful imposition of one cultural emblem or practice unto another minority, serves only to alienate them and make them feel even more marginalized.

    The principle of mutual respect and reciprocity must be upheld.
    Will a Malay tolerate being forced to don attire and emblems of other races and religions? If they cannot accept it, then they should NOT, by the principle of mutual respect and reciprocity, force others to do so.

    We pride ourselves in declaring to the world that we are multi-racial, and multicultural.
    We declare Malaysia as “Truly Asia.”
    We should really be celebrating our cultural diversity, and respect our minority cultures, instead of surreptitiously imposing the cultures and values of the majority unto the minorities in a creeping fashion, with a series of incremental small impositions.

  134. I might be wrong here but the songkoks was a part of Malay dressing not link to any religious, I remember during our scouting days we did wear one the resemble songkok shape. Since 1980 everyone is affected by the NEP policy and it did happen in my old school too where the surau was turn into a size of mosque while others facility was lacking such as labs, sport equipment, library and etc. So it really sickining and yet these little napolean was never be reprimand? I do hope every Malaysian whole who to truth democracy value who believe we all are Rakyat Malaysia shall vote for a change in coming GE.

  135. C’mon Old Geezer,
    You stated:
    I am rude, unreasonable, a bit extreme and some in UMNO are extreme on the other end and I can see from this blog that some in DAP can also be seen as extreme on this end.

    I am really surprised you also stated:
    “But first and foremost, it is important that discussions and criticisms be on facts and not knee-jerk reactions.”

    I don’t have a PHD of any kind, so do forgive me, but dranony put it beautifully for all of us here.. thanks dranony

    My Questions for you, is basically to ask you to state your facts not your “knee-jerk reactions.” You seem to have suggested that The Royal has imposed the wearing of the songkok for the non malay! If the Sultans have not done so, by the principal imposing the songkok without prior approval from the Agong himself, don’t you think the Principal is overstepping his shoes. If this kind of altitude is not put in check, it would only serve to degrade the peaceful existence of multi-culture malaysian society or cause
    exactly what you stated:
    “If we simply act on every complaint by somebody without first studying the issue and the facts, there would be riots in Malaysia every now and then.
    That type of mentality does not bode well for the future of a multi-cultural Malaysia.”

    You seem to be very preoccupied by how Malay feel but insensitive to how the non-malay feel. Not much mutual understanding or it is? This to a ” to wear or not to wear songkok thing” and not a matter race though related. To me, it is about policy, and very anti-multi cutural indeed.

    Sorry if i seem to be rude, as i mentioned above. I have no PHD of any kind…..do forgive that my criticisms is not based on fact but on your lack of it……

    Don’t change your handle (whatever you meant), I would rather and hope you change the way you think …… be a little bit more sensitive to the feeling of the minority ……… and this is sure going to be much better…..

  136. Uncle Lim ,

    The mid-sem break in UUM is 1 week before the Chinese New Year….Why can’t they make it the week during CNY ?? They do it on purpose so that the Chinese can’t enjoy their new year ??
    This has to stop and they must respect and be more sensitive towards other’s culture ~!!!

  137. You seem to be very preoccupied by how Malay feel ….and I think you’re an Umnoputra ….. and like all Umnoputras, being of the majority race ….. you don’t realize how insensitive you’re although you claim you’re not… what’s the point of changing handles?

  138. I would like to bring to YB’s and all readers attention that “as far as the ‘EC prefect wearing songkok issue’ is concerned,…the issue has been resolved amicably as the headmaster himself has announced today during an emergency prefects meeting that it is NOT compulsory for the prefects to wear the songkok for whatever function or duty…” – according to a commenter ‘needtospeak’ who posted this on the first thread on this matter : http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/01/11/songkok-compulsory-wear-for-jb-english-college-prefects/

    She continued, “I am glad that we can put this all behind us now. I just hope that there will be no other teachers or headmasters elsewhere in the nation, who would impose their personal values and cultural practices upon student minorities. After all, we all want to live in a happy and harmonious society despite our cultural differences”.

    I would like to think that, if true, this Blog and highlighting for discussion of the issue has served a purpose, and it underlines the importance of resisting such trangressions of litle Napoleons in this Blog.

  139. I agree with Jeffrey.
    There will surely continue to be those who will commit these minor incremental transgressions, which if not highlighted and corrected, will slowly but surely erode the rights and values and cultures of the minorities, especially those who choose to simply remain silent and suffer the indignities in the belief that they are helpless to do anything.
    But we know that those who do wrong hates attention, and will not wish to have attention drawn to the misdeeds, for fear that the misdeeds will be exposed.
    Thank you YB Lim, for providing this blog as a forum where misdeeds which shun attention, are exposed; and unrighteousness corrected. And thank you for highlighting this specific problem, without which the matter would probably not have been resolved.

    Reminds me of a passage I’d once read,
    “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be plainly seen…”

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

Leave a Reply