Guan Eng's 'racist' remark part of STPM trial answers?

Johor DAP claims the answer to a question in the state-wide STPM trial examination describes Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's warning to schools in Penang not to subscribe to Malay mainstream newspapers as “racist and impeding integration among races”.

The party also cried foul over another examination question that listed “joining the opposition” as one of the choices to the question, “Which of the following will cause a person's citizenship to be stripped?”

State DAP youth chief Tan Hong Pin said the alleged answer scheme and questions were sent to him by an Internet user through email.

The essay question related to Lim required students to discuss, “The process of integration among races can be achieved through national education system, but various challenges have to be overcome to realise this objective”.

According to the alleged answer scheme shown by Tan, one of the answers to this question was: “The warning of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to 84 Chinese primary schools in the state to stop subscribing to Malay language mainstream newspapers is a racist action that impedes integration among races”.

“Does it mean that if the students do not answer this point, they would not be able to score? I hope the Johor Education Department can give a fair explanation. It should not become the tool of (any) political party,” Tan told Malaysiakini today.

The second question was a multiple-choice question which listed four answer choices – compromising to the enemy, joining the opposition, counterfeiting money and cannot speak Malay.

Although the correct answers were 'compromising to the enemy' and 'counterfeiting money', Tan said the choice of “joining the opposition” may mislead the students that it is wrong to join the opposition.

‘Teacher had no intention to malign opposition’

It is said both questions appeared in General Studies subject trial examination paper taken by all STPM students in Johor.

Tan said the party will study the examination paper in detail and lodge a police report.

According to Sin Chew Daily, Johor Education Department deputy director Md Hasidin Zaini said his department will investigate the complaint.

“I just found out about this matter from you, so please give me some time to understand the situation. However, I believe whether it is the question or the answer, the teacher who prepared the paper has no intention to malign the opposition,” he was quoted as saying.

This allegation came in the wake of criticism levelled against questions featured in the SPM trial examination papers at two Johor schools pertaining to the Bersih 3.0 rally.

A photograph of a question, part of the Moral Studies paper from SMK Aminuddin Baki in Johor Baru, first began circulating on Facebook.

The question “Is it appropriate for a citizen to participate in an illegal assembly?” was accompanied by two photographs of incidents during the April 28 rally, while the answer given by the student - “tidak wajar (not appropriate)” - was ticked as correct.

The school has since claimed it had no intention to politicise the matter but was trying to emphasise good values.  

Even so, a photograph of yet another Moral Studies paper, purportedly by SMK Seri Jementah in Segamat, surfaced on online forum JBTalks, featuring a similar question on Bersih, but accompanied by a different photograph.

Deputy Education Minister Puad Zarkashi has said the question on the Bersih 3.0 rally was 'not a problem' as it did not pertain to any race, religious sensitivity or maligned any individual.