'Bersih question in SPM trial not a problem'

Deputy Education Minister Puad Zarkashi today said that the question on the Bersih 3.0 rally in a recent SPM trial examination is “not a problem”. 

“As long as it does not affect the racial or religious sensitivities or malign any individual, I feel (the question) is not a problem... It’s up to the rakyat to decide,” he told Malaysiakini. 

Met after visiting SJK (T) St Joseph in Sentul today, Puad (right) added that the ministry did not set the question and has received no complaints on the matter. 

“I have received no reports. The question was in the trial examination, not from the ministry. It’s from the school, so we leave the matter to the school.”

A photograph of the question related to the Bersih 3.0 rally purported to be from an SPM trial examination paper was recently spread on a Facebook page. 

The question, believed to be for the Moral Education subject, featured two photographs of incidents which occurred during the April 28 rally. 

“Is it reasonable for a citizen to participate in an illegal assembly?” the question read. 

The answer given by the student - ‘not reasonable’ - was ticked as correct. 

Earlier, a spokesperson of the national examination board toldMalaysiakini that trial examination questions are set by schools or by the state education departments. 

[More to follow]