Sad day when politicians hold a school to ransom

Columnists

WRITTEN BY DR AZLY RAHMAN

TUESDAY, 27 APRIL 2010 13:48

If the above words quoted in Lim Kit Siang’s blog were uttered and they were true, we have reached the highest level of idiocy in charting the future of Malaysian education. How much shame must we parade in our desperation to win this or that election that is a theatre of the absurd anyway? The essential question is, how dare we use education – the only means for social and economic progress for ALL races – to bribe voters! We hear all too often now that education is being ‘prostitutionalized’ in the name of political gains. That gentle profession and a noble enterprise, from the Latineducare (drawing out the potentials) have been overused in election campaigns. From rice to roads, credit cards to cruises, youth facilities to new universities – all these have been used as political baits throughout our history. We are in a pathological condition. Education and the building of educational institutions must be a non-partisan endeavour. As the philosopher John Dewey would say, education is the only means for social and educational progress, and the teaching of thinking will never bring the child to any dead places, so we must take heed of this notion of education for all.  Education must become a vehicle for the development of a critical citizenry, regardless of who is in power, as the Brazilian educator Paulo Freire would say. Have we no shame when we say that only if the people vote for this or that party, money will flow to the children of that community? Have we no sense of understanding of human rights and dignity when we deliberately create apartheid system of education through preferential treatments by virtue of who votes for us? Denying children’s rights We are denying children the right to be intelligent when we use programmes of the gifted and talented as political tool and as means to punish electorates. We are denying at-risk youth alternative educational settings that will give them hope and vision when we are merely interested in their potential as paid hooligans during election campaigns. In the United States it does not matter which government is in power, the approaches to educating the future generation differ only in the emphasis towards making the schools perform better. Whether it is Ronald Reagan’s NCEE report of ‘A Nation at Risk’, Bill Clinton’sGoals 2000, George Bush’s No Child Left Behind, or Barack Obama’s Race to the Top – all these have the goal of grand scale inclusiveness, although the ideology and modus operandi might differ. In them, these are the mandate given to each state to implement standards of excellence to make society better. Never have I heard, as an American educator myself, of this or that school denied of funding by virtue of the community's political leaning. It would be a Supreme Court case if a school district is denied money due to the teacher union’s endorsement of this or that candidate in the gubernatorial race, for instance. If we continue to see in Malaysia at every election campaign, money being promised only if votes are being given, then we have become an immoral nation of peoples that do not care for the next generation of children. Already we have educational institutions entrenched in race and the propagation of racial superiority – at a time when we trumpet to the outside world our ‘Malaysian-ness’. We not only have elite schools for one race, expensive schools for the gifted and talented of one race, universities only for this or that race, and grants and scholarships for only one race – we have them when all these are supposed to be coming from a ‘1Malaysia’ government in which the taxpayers are of all races. Already we are seeing more seeds of racialization in education and the ‘apartheid-ization’ of schooling planted in order to further the agenda of race-based politics. The ‘one-school-fits-all’ (Satu sekolah untuk semua) movement/campaign is also deeply suspect. Which ideology will hegemonize, which culture will be made dominant, and what will be the nature of ‘nationalism and patriotism’ shoved onto the minds of the young? These are serious questions we need to ask ourselves as a nation – how have we politicized and prostitutionalized education? What will be the political, social, and cultural implications of this game we are letting politicians play? It is game that reflects out pathological state of mind as we continue to see our institutions crumble, no longer able to withstand the weight of our contradictions. What then must we do? We do not have time to entertain ethnocentric politics anymore; our society has been fragmented into classes of rich and poor, marginalizing people of all races to newer character. All forms of race-based politics in this century of post-modernity, flux, and shifting ideologues is racist in nature. It is racism for the convenience of control and the furtherance of unseen violence masked as ‘progress and civility’. We must go back to the study of educational philosophies rather than advance the practice of educational prostitutionalization.

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A Fairy Tale

commentary: Capt Iskandar is probably a fake name too... well, if not, he is probably one of the most ungrateful chap around.... I mean, a captain, I assume if he is Pilot, presumably, he got scholarship from MAS, ie owned by Govt... ie got the Malay Quota for his pilot training.... so, you yourself is the product of NEP... unless, your parents paid for your pilot training... which is highly unlikely... this are the clowns that talk about equal right but they really forgot where they actually came from...

"Kacang lupakan kulit...."

 

Ketuanan Melayu is a fable. It does not exist.
By Capt. Iskandar Dzulkarnain
76 Malay NGOs form new council

KUALA LUMPUR: Seventy-six Malay non-governmental organisations yesterday joined forces to form a consultative council, Majlis Perundingan NGO Melayu (MPM), to defend Malays rights and Islam in the country.

What a noble effort! I almost choked on my breakfast, coming across this article in The Star.

Ketuanan Melayu is a fable. It does not exist. It is just a fairy tale. The champions of these Rights are still living in a make believe world. Malaysia, however is real, and is a potpourri of diverse races. Why is there a consensus to champion one particular race. Is Malay domination on the verge of collapse? We dominate in numbers, but not in intellect, or economic might.

Why are they fighting for Malay Rights? Why not fight for Malaysian rights? Why not stop the racial rot, and hold hands with the rest of the nation, to forge a unity, that will ensure a prosperous nation? Slogans like this makes others feel that they are racially biased, greedy for more, while declining to share. Intellectually stunted, fanatical. Nobody really believes that they are fighting for race and religion. Even the Malays do not believe them.

If Malay NGOs want to champion Malay Rights, they have to study the problem in depth and identify the cause of Malay failure, and really what is slowing down the Malays from advancing against the others. Lead them out from their coconut shell, and show them a brave new world out there. Teach them about other people's culture, and to respect other religions, and be humble before God. Encourage Malays to be bilingual or multilingual. It is a fact that knowledge of an extra language is a plus factor.

Malays have fought hard to eke out a living, in rural areas which lack economic potential, just to earn a living and self respect. Over the years they have carved a life for themselves and their families. They thank God everyday for their blessed existence.

Then all this self respect is blown away by some people purportedly championing for their rights. They still want others to see that Malays are weak, in need of subsidies, and unable to stand on their own two feet. Is it a wonder, that after all the years of sweet talk, Malays are turning slowly away from BN. These NGOs talk as if there is no tomorrow, and at the same time making a laughing stock of the dominant Malays.

What subsidies are they talking about? A few thousand scholarships a year, for hundreds of thousands of Malay students? Fertilizer subsidy for Malay farmers? Are non-Malay farmers exempt from fertilizer subsidy? A bloated civil service that continues to employ Malays, that cannot fit in to society, or lack the social skills to fit into the private sector? Repairing rural roads before a major election is not enough. So, that is why the rural kampongs remain as rural kampongs in Malaysia while the rest of the world, their kampongs are turning into modern suburbs, and their villagers, intellectually more advanced than us.

And with 80 organizations joining the consultative council, it only paves the way for a radical approach, and completely destroying all hope for a united race.

It is definitely not good news. At a time when this nation needs to bond, organizations like these are tearing at the fabric of unity. At least the others are clever enough not to form a consultative council for Non-Malay Rights.

It is totally in contrast to Najib's 1Malaysia - acceptance of racial unity and not just tolerance. Why is the government,not lifting a finger to neutralize such blatant disregard for 1Malaysia?

Sincerely, we should stop all this nonsense, and concentrate on more fruitful causes, like uniting the country together, to combat outside enemies. Forming a consultative council is like fighting a psychological war ... no sorry! ... a psychotic war with an unseen enemy, or an imagined enemy. The threat to Race and Religion is only perceived, and these people have a really poor perception. True Muslims, when they speak, we can see from their body language that they are true believers, like Tok Guru for instance. That is why he commands a lot of respect from other Malays.

True Malays shake their heads at this circus of clowns, which keeps on shouting Malay Rights, although they know it is all hogwash. Such untruth keeps on surfacing and the Malay folk is made to look like fools.

Many years ago, Malaysians were united and it was an acceptable fact. Today, racial unity is only tolerated because the government refuses to wipe out the political opportunists that try so hard to create disunity. They lie through their teeth about potential racial conflicts and still hope that the Rakyat will believe them. They make the Malay look small, make them look stupid, make others think that Malays are still surviving on crutches. What else is further from the truth!?

These politicians have tasted the forbidden fruit, and are addicted to easy riches; and still they use the Malay Race as an excuse to further their deceit and to strengthen their hold on power.

They purportedly fight for Religion; but the words that spew forth from their mouths makes even an atheist shudder. The biggest threat to Muslims is not from other religions, but from Muslims themselves. Shiite teachings, Al Arqam, and other deviant teachings, are the ones that divide the Muslims, and not other religions. There is no threat to Islam in this country. Every available opportunity is used to build suraus and mosques, and the population of Muslims is growing at a healthy rate.

We always thought of politicians as wise people, genuinely interested in serving the nation and its people. And we are really disappointed when we see through their sheepskin and their moronic decisions to determine policy.

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Eksklusif: Pertemuan Penuh Drama KJ, Pemuda Dengan Perdana Menteri

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Oleh Lebah Kota

Semalam Khairy Jamaluddin (KJ) melangkah kembali ke tingkat 4, Jabatan Perdana Menteri (JPM), iaitu tingkat yang sangat sinonim dengan dirinya di mana ia suatu masa dahulu meletakkan dirinya sebagai manusia yang paling berkuasa di negara ini.

Ia juga tingkat di mana KJ merancang pelbagai perkara yang bersifat merampas harta milik rakyat untuk diisi ke koceknya sendiri.

Namun, semalam, tingkat 4 bukan milik KJ atau bapa mertuanya.

KJ melangkah selaku Ketua Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO dengan membawa bersama hampir 40 exco dan ahli Pemuda untuk melakukan kunjungan hormat ke atas Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Hampir setahun terpilih baru buat kunjungan hormat. Entahlah apa nak kata.

Pertemuan itu berlangsung dari jam 5.15 petang hingga 7 malam di JPM di Putrajaya.

Banyak pihak mendakwa pertemuan itu diatur untuk KJ memberikan penerangan dan gambaran bahawa tidak ada perpecahan dalam Pemuda.

KJ telah menafikan itu adalah tujuan pertemuan tersebut melalui media massa semalam.

Namun, apa yang pasti, ia satu pertemuan yang penuh drama, ironis dan memperlihatkan sifat bodoh sombong serta muka tak tahu malu KJ belum lagi berakhir.

Ironis seperti yang diterangkan di atas iaitu KJ melangkah ke tingkat 4 yang selama ini memang dikaitkan dengan diri dan rakan-rakannya ketika era Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Bagaimanapun, pertemuan yang sepatutnya bersifat kunjungan hormat cuba dimanipulasi KJ untuk memberikan tekanan kepada PM.

KJ telah berpakat dengan exco-exco machainya agar bertanya kepada PM supaya memberikan jawatan Menteri kepada dirinya!

Justeru, semasa pertemuan, adalah exco yang bertanya soalan itu.

Seperti biasa KJ ingat dia seorang sahaja yang bijak kat dunia ni. Namun, jawapan Datuk Seri Najib memang membuat KJ dan budak-budaknya terpaku.

Najib dengan nada yang lembut tetapi penuh mendalam dan tajam meminta agar Pemuda UMNO bersatu dahulu dan soal jawatan boleh diperbincangkan selepas Pemuda memperlihatkan ia tidak lagi berpecah-belah.

Hendak kata apa, memang Pemuda tidak bersatu. Nyata Najib memberikan sindiran bermakna kepada KJ dalam isu itu.

Namun, semuanya tidak berakhir setakat itu sahaja.

Bukankah Lebah Kota menyebut tadi bagaimana tingkat 4 JPM merupakan tingkat yang menjadikan KJ manusia paling berkuasa di Malaysia satu masa dahulu, semalam, dalam pertemuan itu, KJ masih 'terbawa-bawa' sikap yang sama.

Percaya atau tidak, ada sebahagian Exco Pemuda UMNO yang diberikan amaran oleh KJ sebelum pertemuan agar tidak bertanya sebarang soalan kepada Perdana Menteri.

Yop Putrajaya yang dahulu mendesak KJ meletak jawatan adalah di antara yang diberikan amaran.

Tidak cukup dengan itu, KJ mengawal siapa yang boleh bercakap dan bertanya soalan ketika pertemuan berlangsung.

Umpamanya, jika ada tiga microphone yang menyala lampu mereka serentak akibat ditekan butang bercakap oleh para exco Pemuda, KJ yang memberitahu siapa yang boleh terus bertanya.

Akhirnya budak-budak dan balacinya sahajalah yang bertanya kepada PM dalam kunjungan hormat itu semalam.

Yang mana bukan pro KJ tidak diberikan laluan langsung.

Dasar muka tidak tahu malu, apakah KJ ingat tingkat 4 itu masih milik bapa mertuanya dengan mengatur siapa yang boleh bercakap dan tidak boleh bercakap?

KJ sebenarnya bimbang jika ada exco Pemuda yang melontarkan cadangan supaya dirinya berundur selaku Ketua Pemuda UMNO di hadapan Presiden Parti.

Itulah sebab KJ bersifat kuku besi menghalang siapa yang boleh bercakap dan siapa yang tidak.

Apa pun, itu sebenarnya sesuatu yang memalukan.

Sudahlah berpakat denga exco yang pro dengan dirinya agar mengemis jawatan Menteri daripada PM, lepas itu ada unsur tahan menahan siapa yang boleh bertanya dan tidak boleh bertanya soalan kepada PM.

Itu bukan kunjungan hormat, itu kunjungan untuk kepentingan diri sendiri namanya. Buat malulah KJ ni!

Mungkin KJ meroyan tingkat 4 sekejap kot semalam.

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