Saw stresses humanitarian values in solidarity actions

PETALING JAYA: Compassion and other noble universal values, and not war, should be taught in our institutions, said MCA central committee member Saw Yee Fung.

In this spirit, the Education Ministry should withdraw its directive to organise the Palestine Solidarity Week in schools.

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“If the ministry really intends to inculcate ‘humanitarian values and concern for the suffering of others regardless of race, religion or social status’ as conveyed in its press statement after concerns were raised by netizens and NGOs, then it should have inculcated multicultural programmes, emphasising how diversity, mutual respect, compassion, care and self-help programmes for the underprivileged irrespective of ethnicity or faith professed is the most successful model for multiracial co-existence and goodwill,” she said in a statement yesterday.

In response to the latest controversy in public schools, Saw said in view of the multitude of negative feedback from netizens and civil society over the ministry’s directive for schools to organise the Palestine Solidarity Week, the government should keep international politics out of schools.

“Just today, alarm, even outrage have been raised over a viral video of educators brandishing machine gun replicas to school pupils, mimicking gunmen in battle in a performance of solidarity with the Palestinians.

“It is difficult, if not impossible, to draw commonality between humanitarian values and the said performance by primary school educators as firearms are associated with violence and mayhem, bloodshed, maiming and exterminating human life,” she said, adding that schools have a multitude of choice when it comes to expressing solidarity.

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“They can be encouraged to organise food and medical aid donations to be handed to the Palestinian Embassy here or the Red Crescent Society to be sent to Gaza.

“Likewise, in view that charity homes appear hardest hit by the economic downturn, the schools could also organise fundraisers for welfare homes or refugee schools recognised by UNHCR.

“The ministry could have conducted an interview with the Ambassador of Palestine or other Palestinians residing in Malaysia and broadcast that said interview via social media platforms, or invite the said persons to give a first-hand account of the hardships, and turmoil suffered by Gazans to school students, and what measures could be undertaken to work towards peace,” she added.

Saw said she and her party comrades fully endorse the Malaysia Madani government’s position of supporting Palestine and the need to work towards a two-state solution.

“Like any other peace-loving person, we want peace to be restored, an end to the blockade and that all atrocities committed against civilians, bombardment of hospitals, houses of worship must halt, and reconstruction to commence as quickly as possible,” she said.

However, Saw said irrespective of the position the government takes on the Gaza conflict, teaching innocent schoolchildren about gun-toting and that violence against another is the answer is simply a no-no.

The Education Ministry said on Friday that it does not endorse any demonstration of support for Palestine that borders on the extreme, such as the waving of replica firearms or hoisting of banners inciting violence.

In a statement on Oct 27, the ministry said it is aware of a widely circulated video depicting the goings-on in a school that “displays extremism”.

“This programme is also outside the designated hours for Palestine Solidarity Week and is not in accordance with the guidelines stipulated by the ministry,” said the statement.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also said on Friday that Putrajaya will closely monitor all activities during Palestine Solidarity Week in schools to ensure that these activities do not “go overboard”, adding that such things “need to be controlled”.