Primary pupils banned from opposition parties?
Lee Weng KeatPublished: Jan 4, 2013 5:24 AM | Updated: Jan 4, 2013 5:26 AM
The new school year began three days ago when parents of students of a primary school in Johor Baru were given a ‘surprise’.
The new school year began three days ago when parents of students of a primary school in Johor Baru were given a ‘surprise’.
At the SJK (C) Foon Yew (5) primary school, a new school regulation was distributed to parents where they were shocked to find that their children were banned from ‘joining opposition parties’ (Can Yu Fan Dui Dang).
Pictures of the school regulation have been circulating on the web. It shows that in the first section under ‘Illegal Acts’, ‘joining opposition party’ was listed as article 117.
Netizens have widely commented on the issue, some criticise the government for bringing politics into education matters, others pointed out that primary pupils are minors and surely can’t join any political parties. But once they are above age, no school should interfere with their political rights.
In addition, a few netizens think that it may be a typo: the correct phrase should be “joining underground society” (Can Yu Si Hui Dang).
Headmaster Chua Aik Meng acknowledges the authenticity of the picture circulated, but stress that it was purely a typo issue.
Chua told Malaysiakini that the editing work for the new school regulation was given to a new teacher, and an error occurred by typing the words for ‘underground society’ as ‘opposition party’.
The headmaster stated that school authorities have asked pupils to inform their parents about the corrected typo mentioned, and to inform others as well.
When asked how the mix-up of two far different words had occured, Chua didn't give a direct answer, but twice stressed that the school authorities “absolutely had no other intentions”.
At the SJK (C) Foon Yew (5) primary school, a new school regulation was distributed to parents where they were shocked to find that their children were banned from ‘joining opposition parties’ (Can Yu Fan Dui Dang).
Pictures of the school regulation have been circulating on the web. It shows that in the first section under ‘Illegal Acts’, ‘joining opposition party’ was listed as article 117.
Netizens have widely commented on the issue, some criticise the government for bringing politics into education matters, others pointed out that primary pupils are minors and surely can’t join any political parties. But once they are above age, no school should interfere with their political rights.
In addition, a few netizens think that it may be a typo: the correct phrase should be “joining underground society” (Can Yu Si Hui Dang).
Headmaster Chua Aik Meng acknowledges the authenticity of the picture circulated, but stress that it was purely a typo issue.
Chua told Malaysiakini that the editing work for the new school regulation was given to a new teacher, and an error occurred by typing the words for ‘underground society’ as ‘opposition party’.
The headmaster stated that school authorities have asked pupils to inform their parents about the corrected typo mentioned, and to inform others as well.
When asked how the mix-up of two far different words had occured, Chua didn't give a direct answer, but twice stressed that the school authorities “absolutely had no other intentions”.
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