Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Problem of Bible Knowledge in Malaysian Schools

PRESS STATEMENT

MALAYAN CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS’ COUNCIL


SHOCKED BY SPM 10+2 EXCLUSIVITY


The Malayan Christian Schools’ Council is shocked at the Government’s decision not to include Bible Knowledge in the 2 additional SPM subjects as announced recently.


This is despite repeated representations and memoranda to the authorities concerned since June this year.


In The Star Online news report dated Tuesday December 8, 2009 it was announced that the two additional SPM subjects are limited to Bahasa Arab, Bahasa Cina, Bahasa Tamil, Chinese Literature and Tamil Literature.


This decision appears to have been hastily taken without due consultation. It has unjustly excluded other subjects which are highly valued by ethnic and religious minorities in Malaysia.


Among these subjects are Bahasa Iban, Bahasa Punjab and Bible Knowledge. This marginalisation is a source of great consternation among the affected communities which constitute a significant percentage of Malaysians.


We urge the Cabinet, in particular the Minister of Education, to leave the choice of the two additional SPM subjects to the candidate. Surely, such an inclusive approach is more in line with the PM’s vision of 1Malaysia “People First, Performance Now”.

(signed)

YAP KOK KEONG

Chairman

MALAYAN CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS’ COUNCIL

Dated this 17th December 2009

(The Malayan Christian Schools’ Council represents the Mission Authorities of the Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Brethren, Presbyterian and Basel Churches)

4 comments:

  1. Maybe someone should create an online petition for this matter. Seems like the government will only take notice then.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Online petition? Ha ha ha.... When did the govt ever take notice of online petitions.

    Want them to take notice? Organize a prayer walk (a Christianized version of street demo) But I guess majority of law abiding Christians in this country would not want to face water cannons, tear gas and the fearsome FRU.

    Well, you can keep on issuing statements until the cows come home. They are not going to listen.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi sp lim,

    I am not sure a 'prayer walk' will produce the result you proposed. The government will only use it to clamp down on Christians.

    Online petition is useful only if we have lobbyist in a democracy such as the USA.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Its interesting that Benard Dompok gave a different statement.

    ReplyDelete