By CPI
We urge CPI readers and others to sign this important petition by a courageous parent. The petition calls on the authorities to act immediately to address the bias and shortcomings plaguing the Malaysian history syllabus and textbooks.
Our younger generation deserve a broad, impartial and fair history in their education. They do not deserve narrowly blinkered history textbooks and a syllabus that are bent on propagandizing parochial ethno-nationalist and religiously biased perspectives and knowledge.
All parents and taxpayers in the country should be concerned with the current situation of history education which is providing our children with selective and biased views and knowledge that can only further polarize and divide the communities and nation rather than serve to unify us on the basis of a fair and accurate representation of our past and that of all civilizations.
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THE PETITION
CALL FOR REVIEW OF HISTORY SYLLABUS IN MALAYSIAN SCHOOLS AND INSTITUTIONS PETITION
We, concerned parents and citizens of Malaysia, note with great concern the following weaknesses and problems in the history textbooks in our nation.
They:-
(a) are filled with many historical errors and half truths;
(b) fail to reflect fairly on the contribution of all races in the development of the nation;
(c) are written from a narrow world perspective and has a strong bias towards certain religious civilization and belief.
In view of the great impact the history textbooks have on the minds of our young children, we call upon our Government and the relevant authorities to undertake an immediate and comprehensive review and rewriting of the history syllabus and textbooks in schools and all other institutions of education in Malaysia.
We propose that this review and rewriting of the syllabus and textbooks be undertaken by a panel of qualified historians . They should be representative of all the major races in the nation.
The objective of the review should be to introduce a liberal and progressive history syllabus and textbooks. These should:-
(1) equip our students with a broad and balanced perspective of the major civilizations and events in world history;
(2) not contain undue emphasis on any particular civilization or religion;
(3) accurately record historical facts from an unbiased viewpoint;
(4) give due and fair recognition to the contributions of all races towards the historical development of the nation;
(5) focus on historical facts and processes, and not contain any religious or political agenda.
To sign petition click here…