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Malaysiakini
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Education not prime focus of recent govts
YOURSAY | 'So, how can our students compete and become knowledgeable?' M'sia scores poorly on education rights, lags behind neighbours Koel: Are the Education Ministry and the Higher Education Ministry taking note of this very worrying report card? Please spare us the instant denials that follow these reports. Only the most gullible will buy it. A narrow agenda of several decades that has focused on 2R has meant that whatever resources we have are directed into the coffers of some of the most racist institutions in this country. Many have been sidelined, neglected or led into educational deprivation due to this agenda. Let's be very clear. These racist institutions are not serving the country. Their initiatives are politically linked to serve the interests of specific political parties. People need to come to their senses and start looking at the welfare of this educationally failing country. If a country has no education, they have have nothing. We are now lagging behind Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia according to this report. So congratulations, Malaysia. Pretty soon our children will be seeking jobs as domestic workers and labourers in these countries. The government keeps making the same mistakes! OCT: Almost every citizen knows our education system is in a rut, but the government refuses to admit it. There won't be any solutions as long as the government doesn't see that our education system and policies need to change. The government has stopped participating in the Programme for International Student Assessment challenge as the results have shown our students have failed miserably and have degraded. Yet, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek insisted that our university is on par with Ivy League universities. There are shameful incidents by our PhD professors who made fictitious claims just to be debunked by other experts with evidence. A recent survey has shown there are more religious classes than Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Stem) classes. So, how can our students compete and become knowledgeable? The government's main objective is to win votes so that it can remain in power. Malay-Muslims are the majority race, and Islam is the main religion. So the government has to implement education that is aligned with Malay-Muslims so that they will vote for the government. Education is not given priority. Students are collateral damage from ideology. MarioT: Our education system puts a lot of emphasis on religion rather than the basic 3Rs. So, if you were to take the quality of education into account, it is miserably below 50 percent. The earnest request for change continues to fall on deaf ears. Even the Malay-Muslims, for whom the system is mainly designed, prefer to send their children to Chinese schools to receive a wholesome education. Time to come, we will even fall behind Laos if we keep up with this racially inclined education policy. Ayam Kampung: Sad to see how far Malaysia has sunk on the regional and world stage. We have completely destroyed the solid educational foundation given to us by the British - ironically, a solid British-centric education system grounded in English is the biggest 'gift' we got from our colonial masters. Now, our young people can't even string together a proper sentence in English. What hope does this country have when our 'jaguh kampung' (someone who is successful in their local community) politicians continue to champion the national language above everything else, and our education continues to veer from a science- and culture-heavy focus into blind religious extremism? I see very little hope left for our country. Sad. BluePanther4725: It's no surprise. All this while, the government, whether it's BN, Perikatan Nasional or Pakatan Harapan, did not pay attention to education. They consistently appointed low-calibre education ministers to ensure there was no improvement in our education system. To add further damage, more attention is paid to religious education, like tahfiz schools. In national schools, the teachers and curriculum are paying more attention to religious studies. This is an insidious strategy by politicians to keep our people and young people lowly educated so that they will continue to believe in the lies of the politicians. The greatest fear of the politicians and religious authorities is that our youths become smart enough to reject them. TC: Many Malaysians are hired as professionals in Singapore and other countries. Just wondering how they beat the lower education system. Maybe the survey can be improved from generalisation to specification. The Illusion Of Choice: Our very smart education minister has proudly declared that our education system is on par with (and maybe even superior to) Singapore and Japan. This Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) study must be wrong. BusinessFirst: Of course, that goes without saying. We have the best prime minister in the history of all humanity naturally his personally appointed education minister must at least be the best in living memory. The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now. These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.
Malaysiakini
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Education not prime focus of recent govts
YOURSAY | 'So, how can our students compete and become knowledgeable?' M'sia scores poorly on education rights, lags behind neighbours Koel: Are the Education Ministry and the Higher Education Ministry taking note of this very worrying report card? Please spare us the instant denials that follow these reports. Only the most gullible will buy it. A narrow agenda of several decades that has focused on 2R has meant that whatever resources we have are directed into the coffers of some of the most racist institutions in this country. Many have been sidelined, neglected or led into educational deprivation due to this agenda. Let's be very clear. These racist institutions are not serving the country. Their initiatives are politically linked to serve the interests of specific political parties. People need to come to their senses and start looking at the welfare of this educationally failing country. If a country has no education, they have have nothing. We are now lagging behind Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia according to this report. So congratulations, Malaysia. Pretty soon our children will be seeking jobs as domestic workers and labourers in these countries. The government keeps making the same mistakes! OCT: Almost every citizen knows our education system is in a rut, but the government refuses to admit it. There won't be any solutions as long as the government doesn't see that our education system and policies need to change. The government has stopped participating in the Programme for International Student Assessment challenge as the results have shown our students have failed miserably and have degraded. Yet, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek insisted that our university is on par with Ivy League universities. There are shameful incidents by our PhD professors who made fictitious claims just to be debunked by other experts with evidence. A recent survey has shown there are more religious classes than Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Stem) classes. So, how can our students compete and become knowledgeable? The government's main objective is to win votes so that it can remain in power. Malay-Muslims are the majority race, and Islam is the main religion. So the government has to implement education that is aligned with Malay-Muslims so that they will vote for the government. Education is not given priority. Students are collateral damage from ideology. MarioT: Our education system puts a lot of emphasis on religion rather than the basic 3Rs. So, if you were to take the quality of education into account, it is miserably below 50 percent. The earnest request for change continues to fall on deaf ears. Even the Malay-Muslims, for whom the system is mainly designed, prefer to send their children to Chinese schools to receive a wholesome education. Time to come, we will even fall behind Laos if we keep up with this racially inclined education policy. Ayam Kampung: Sad to see how far Malaysia has sunk on the regional and world stage. We have completely destroyed the solid educational foundation given to us by the British - ironically, a solid British-centric education system grounded in English is the biggest 'gift' we got from our colonial masters. Now, our young people can't even string together a proper sentence in English. What hope does this country have when our 'jaguh kampung' (someone who is successful in their local community) politicians continue to champion the national language above everything else, and our education continues to veer from a science- and culture-heavy focus into blind religious extremism? I see very little hope left for our country. Sad. BluePanther4725: It's no surprise. All this while, the government, whether it's BN, Perikatan Nasional or Pakatan Harapan, did not pay attention to education. They consistently appointed low-calibre education ministers to ensure there was no improvement in our education system. To add further damage, more attention is paid to religious education, like tahfiz schools. In national schools, the teachers and curriculum are paying more attention to religious studies. This is an insidious strategy by politicians to keep our people and young people lowly educated so that they will continue to believe in the lies of the politicians. The greatest fear of the politicians and religious authorities is that our youths become smart enough to reject them. TC: Many Malaysians are hired as professionals in Singapore and other countries. Just wondering how they beat the lower education system. Maybe the survey can be improved from generalisation to specification. The Illusion Of Choice: Our very smart education minister has proudly declared that our education system is on par with (and maybe even superior to) Singapore and Japan. This Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) study must be wrong. BusinessFirst: Of course, that goes without saying. We have the best prime minister in the history of all humanity naturally his personally appointed education minister must at least be the best in living memory. The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now. These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.
Malaysiakini
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Will politicians listen to Agong's good advice?
YOURSAY | 'PKR, known for infighting, also spreading 'virus' (of division).' Agong warns against too many parties, factions Mario T: This is good advice from our Agong, but will the politicians put service to the rakyat above money or power? I am afraid not. The avaricious craving for money by whatever means will continue to plague the nation like an incurable disease. Once you have let loose a bull, it is going to be almost impossible to catch it and place it under reins. Corruption in every stratum of society has reached a point of no return. What is presently being investigated by the MACC or police and prosecuted is just a small visible tip of an iceberg. Traveloka Winning: This is a timely reminder for PKR because PKR is always the source of infighting. Not only is it known for infighting, but it also spreads the 'virus' (of division) to virtually everyone. This 'virus' has resulted in our winning PAS splitting, leading to the formation of Amanah, then Umno splitting further into Bersatu, and Bersatu splitting into Muda and Pejuang. Worse still, PKR continues to generate infighting among the various factions in the party. I am not even talking about factions within the party that everyone knows about. I'm talking about how Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also PKR president, poached Senator Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz to join PKR. This is humiliating for Deputy Prime Minister and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, creating tension in the (dis)unity government. To rehabilitate the political landscape, PKR and specifically Anwar's dynasty (his wife, former deputy prime minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and daughter Nurul Izzah) must be forever barred from participating in elections. Only then can our country hope to have unity. Mazhilamani: The most divided community appears to be just one. The way it keeps creating new parties, it is only a matter of time before each state will have its own party or parties broken down to Jati Malays, Javanese, Acehnese, Sundanese, Banjarese, Minangkabau, Bugis, among others. Eventually, the majority Malay group will attempt to lead the country with the minority brought under their mercy. Malayans of different races started as equals, but after 68 years, see how divided we have become and with some communities treated as minorities. It is now the responsibility of the Registrar of Societies to ensure that the registration and approval of race-based parties are immediately rejected, including applications from the Chinese and Indian communities. Please take the advice of the Agong, his concern may become a reality. IndigoTrout2522: In a democracy, people are free to vote for any candidates or political parties. If politicians or parties lose the trust and confidence of the voters and therefore their votes, they won't survive politically. Evidence has shown that once powerful or popular politicians, as well as political parties, have become irrelevant when voters lose confidence in them, regardless of whether they are old or new parties. The voters will decide, come the 16th general election. WhitePony9855: Daulat Tuanku, thank you for the timely reminder, but knowing our politicians, they won't listen. The 3Rs (race, religion and royalty) are the main divisive subjects played up by most politicians. Some of them seemed to be insulated against our laws. They play up the 3R, yet the authorities won't act against them. The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now. These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.
Malaysiakini
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Patriotism more than an emblem on school uniforms
YOURSAY | 'It should not be forcefully applied.' Imprint school uniforms with Jalur Gemilang, MOE urged MarioT: During my school days, we were taught that our national flag was our identity as a nation and our national pride. The flag-raising ceremony and singing of the national anthem gave us a feeling of oneness. But today, certain interferences have lowered the flag's profile. The emphasis on religion makes nationalistic feelings a second priority. Go to the basics of giving priority to the national flag and national anthem to start the week in schools, giving the children the patriotic feeling of being Malaysians. Explain the importance of a united nation to counter any forces out to cause trouble and damage. To me, pinning the flag on the school uniform is just a show with no significant result. Cynic: Pre-schoolers and primary school students know nothing about patriotism or what the emblem of a national flag entails. International students have absolutely no patriotic fervour for any other national flag except for their own. They are only here for their studies and nothing else. Secondary school students and students in institutes of higher education may have an inkling of what the flag means. However, the degree of fervour varies according to how the government treats them in terms of race and religion and whether they are accorded the same equality as their Malay-Muslim peers. The only places where I think the Jalur Gemilang would be useful are with the political elites and the civil service. These are the places where corruption is at its highest. Sticking the national flag over their pockets may, just may, deter them from pocketing bribes or money embezzled from the nation's coffers. If they are patriotic enough. One would do well to remember that every Malaysian has patriotism for the nation's Jalur Gemilang, but that cannot be applied to any ruling government. In the words of Mark Twain: 'Loyalty for the country - always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it.' P Dev Anand Pillai: Patriotism will come automatically to anyone if they see and experience equality and fairness in their country of birth, a country that accepts them or a country that gives them refuge. It should not be forcefully applied. Our children may wear these uniforms because they do not have a choice, but as they grow older in our system of education, they see what happens right before their eyes as to the opportunities, equality in treatment and even in their religious beliefs, they will begin to think! We, yesteryear students (1950s to the 1960s) did not have to wear such uniforms, but we were very proud of our achievements when we had the opportunity to represent our district, state and country in competitions. We had fairness and better representation back then. Our teachers were 'real' teachers who had the power to teach and lead schools. They moulded us and made us have good character, and that is what has brought us to achieve the best that we can in our lives today. So let patriotism be natural, sticking it on a uniform when the rest of our lives are the same is not going to achieve the intended results. Solo: Not sure if wearing a Jalur Gemilang flag or badge on a school shirt will alter the thinking of the wearer. If that is all it takes, those guys marching around with flags draped across their shoulders should be warriors, but alas, some are just for show. I prefer teaching school kids the Rukun Negara, and practising what is preached may be more useful. Don't judge the book by its cover. Coward: Print it? It will not work. And I am ashamed that the National Parent-Teacher Association (NPTA) proposed this. I am expecting them to oppose this if it is proposed. Why? The increased cost of uniforms. Maybe the members of NPTA can afford it, but not all parents can. Let's not forget that for underprivileged students, their uniforms are passed down. What happened to the kid whose printed flag faded? Are you going to tell him to buy a new uniform? Can he afford it? Even if schools ignore faded imprints, school children won't. You just clearly marked him out as poor in the eyes of other kids. Children can be cruel at times. So why enable them to be? KK Voter: The tenders were awarded to 26 suppliers, mainly companies that provide printing services and supply stationery. The average cost for each badge is about 76 sen, but the price differs between each contract, ranging from 72 sen and 80 sen. At this volume, the badges should not cost 72 to 80 cents, it can be sold at 80 cents with a profit. Malaysiakini should go one step further and dig out the background of the owners of these companies. LimeHorse5802: A few outcomes will arise from this: 1. Now that the badge's specification is out, manufacturers will produce and sell it at bookshops at prices lower than the average of RM0.76 that the government has procured. 2. Another piece of plastic will be sold at say RM0.50 where the badge could be pinned into it and inserted into the left pocket of students' shirts. 3. The shirt of the school uniform will have two pockets, one on the right for the school badge/name/house colour and on the left for the plastic (where the flag is pinned on) to be inserted into. It is amazing how things will find their correct ways. The Illusion of Choice: So, this is what is inside the brains of the National Parent Teacher Association. Meanwhile, students are being bullied to death, being sexually abused and exploited, committing suicide and skipping Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) en masse. Students lack basic language and arithmetic skills even after SPM, and there are cases of students being bullied by racist teachers. While all this is going on, the NPTA is prioritising 'putting flag stickers on uniforms'. Bravo, very good use of brains. Cyclonus: Isn't the flag on the uniform thing going too long and too much already? If the worry is about safety by using pinned badges, then use magnets or velcro. Or just take off the badge when doing sports. The kids should be using T-shirts instead of school shirts during physical education anyway. If we want to imbue a unified Malaysian spirit, then start with the school administration and teachers. Placebo: Genius. If you can afford to buy a new shirt just so you can have a printed flag on it, then RM0.80 for the badge is hardly a 'financial burden'. Plus, you could always transfer the badges to new shirts later. Let's get real. The government probably spent more on the flags for Hari Merdeka. Lone_star: Can patriotism be equated with an emblem on the shirt? The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now. These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.
Malaysiakini
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Patriotism more than an emblem on school uniforms
YOURSAY | 'It should not be forcefully applied.' Imprint school uniforms with Jalur Gemilang, MOE urged MarioT: During my school days, we were taught that our national flag was our identity as a nation and our national pride. The flag-raising ceremony and singing of the national anthem gave us a feeling of oneness. But today, certain interferences have lowered the flag's profile. The emphasis on religion makes nationalistic feelings a second priority. Go to the basics of giving priority to the national flag and national anthem to start the week in schools, giving the children the patriotic feeling of being Malaysians. Explain the importance of a united nation to counter any forces out to cause trouble and damage. To me, pinning the flag on the school uniform is just a show with no significant result. Cynic: Pre-schoolers and primary school students know nothing about patriotism or what the emblem of a national flag entails. International students have absolutely no patriotic fervour for any other national flag except for their own. They are only here for their studies and nothing else. Secondary school students and students in institutes of higher education may have an inkling of what the flag means. However, the degree of fervour varies according to how the government treats them in terms of race and religion and whether they are accorded the same equality as their Malay-Muslim peers. The only places where I think the Jalur Gemilang would be useful are with the political elites and the civil service. These are the places where corruption is at its highest. Sticking the national flag over their pockets may, just may, deter them from pocketing bribes or money embezzled from the nation's coffers. If they are patriotic enough. One would do well to remember that every Malaysian has patriotism for the nation's Jalur Gemilang, but that cannot be applied to any ruling government. In the words of Mark Twain: Loyalty for the country - always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it. P Dev Anand Pillai: Patriotism will come automatically to anyone if they see and experience equality and fairness in their country of birth, a country that accepts them or a country that gives them refuge. It should not be forcefully applied. Our children may wear these uniforms because they do not have a choice, but as they grow older in our system of education, they see what happens right before their eyes as to the opportunities, equality in treatment and even in their religious beliefs, they will begin to think! We, yesteryear students (1950s to the 1960s) did not have to wear such uniforms, but we were very proud of our achievements when we had the opportunity to represent our district, state and country in competitions. We had fairness and better representation back then. Our teachers were 'real' teachers who had the power to teach and lead schools. They moulded us and made us have good character, and that is what has brought us to achieve the best that we can in our lives today. So let patriotism be natural, sticking it on a uniform when the rest of our lives are the same is not going to achieve the intended results. Solo: Not sure if wearing a Jalur Gemilang flag or badge on a school shirt will alter the thinking of the wearer. If that is all it takes, those guys marching around with flags draped across their shoulders should be warriors, but alas, some are just for show. I prefer teaching school kids the Rukun Negara, and practising what is preached may be more useful. Don't judge the book by its cover. Coward: Print it? It will not work. And I am ashamed that the National Parent-Teacher Association (NPTA) proposed this. I am expecting them to oppose this if it is proposed. Why? The increased cost of uniforms. Maybe the members of NPTA can afford it, but not all parents can. Let's not forget that for underprivileged students, their uniforms are passed down. What happened to the kid whose printed flag faded? Are you going to tell him to buy a new uniform? Can he afford it? Even if schools ignore faded imprints, school children won't. You just clearly marked him out as poor in the eyes of other kids. Children can be cruel at times. So why enable them to be? KK Voter: The tenders were awarded to 26 suppliers, mainly companies that provide printing services and supply stationery. The average cost for each badge is about 76 sen, but the price differs between each contract, ranging from 72 sen and 80 sen. At this volume, the badges should not cost 72 to 80 cents, it can be sold at 80 cents with a profit. Malaysiakini should go one step further and dig out the background of the owners of these companies. LimeHorse5802: A few outcomes will arise from this: 1. Now that the badge's specification is out, manufacturers will produce and sell it at bookshops at prices lower than the average of RM0.76 that the government has procured. 2. Another piece of plastic will be sold at say RM0.50 where the badge could be pinned into it and inserted into the left pocket of students' shirts. 3. The shirt of the school uniform will have two pockets, one on the right for the school badge/name/house colour and on the left for the plastic (where the flag is pinned on) to be inserted into. It is amazing how things will find their correct ways. The Illusion Of Choice: So, this is what is inside the brains of NPTA. Meanwhile, students are being bullied to death, being sexually abused and exploited, committing suicide and skipping Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) en masse. Students are given toy AK47s and balaclavas, shouting death and jihad. Students lack basic language and arithmetic skills even after SPM, and there are cases of students being bullied by racist teachers. While all this is going on the NPTA is prioritising 'putting flag stickers on uniform.' Bravo, very good use of brains. Cyclonus: Isn't the flag on the uniform thing going too long and too much already? If the worry is about safety by using pinned badges, then use magnets or velcro. Or just take off the badge when doing sports. The kids should be using T-shirts instead of school shirts during physical education anyway. I am just waiting for the Islamic Development Department to start imposing its halal requirements on school uniforms. If we want to imbue a unified Malaysian spirit, then start with the school administration and teachers. Placebo: Genius. If you can afford to buy a new shirt just so you can have a printed flag on it, then RM0.80 for the badge is hardly a 'financial burden'. Plus, you could always transfer the badges to new shirts later. Let's get real. The government probably spent more on the flags for Hari Merdeka. Lone_star: Can patriotism be equated with an emblem on the shirt? The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now. These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.
