KUCHING, Oct 26: Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen discloses that he has received confirmation from Deputy Education Minister Lim Hui Ying that the ‘Palestine Solidarity Week’ programme is not compulsory for schools in Sarawak.
As it is now apparent that the programme is not mandatory for schools in Sarawak, Chong expressed his hope that the management of schools in Sarawak would not feel compelled to implement such a programme in response to the directive.
“Today, I have obtained confirmation from the Deputy Minister of Education, YB Lim Hui Ying, that the program is not compulsory for schools in Sarawak.
“While we all are against the atrocity of war and wish for peace, we do not want our children to get emotionally involved in the Palestine/Israel conflict at such a young stage,” he said in a statement issued today.
Chong, who is also Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman, went on to say that such a directive has caused great concern among all sectors in Sarawak.
“It is the stand of Sarawak DAP that the Ministry of Education should not involve school students in the international political conflict of Palestine and Israel as the conflict is a very emotional and complicated issue.
“Anger and hatred are normally associated with such issues. These are not what we want our young children to get involved in during their childhood in schools.
“In the dialogue between the Minister of Education and the Kerajaan Perpaduan (Unity government) Members of Parliament yesterday in Parliament, the Sarawak DAP Members of Parliament have made clear of our concerns and objections to such a programme being run in schools in Sarawak,” he remarked.
A circular letter issued by the Ministry of Education on Oct 21 has declared that Oct 9 to Nov 11 has been designated as ‘Solidarity Week for Palestine’ and has directed all schools in the country to conduct programmes in support of Palestine. — DayakDaily
