UiTM controversy: Bigots ruining Malaysia’s future

Education should be about broadening students' minds so that they think intelligently not mislead them with bigotry, said Jeffrey Kitingan.

KOTA KINABALU: The case of 12 Christian students from Sabah who were allegedly coerced into embracing the Muslim religion after a lecture in Universtiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) was met with concern from political maverick Jeffrey Kitingan.

Kitingan, who is also Bingkor assemblyman, has called for the re-examination of the criteria used to select teachers and educators.

“The criteria for picking teachers in government educational institutions should be re-examined.

“Teachers are misleading instead of educating. Education should be about broadening people’s minds to enable them to think independently.

“We are already facing so many problems and yet there are certain groups out there trying to take advantage of young people by misleading them,” he said.

He was responding to a Facebook posting by a traumatised student who claimed she saw 12 of her Christian UiTM mates ‘embrace’ Islam at the end of the forum.

She had disclosed these details via a distressed Facebook message to her pastor.

Kitingan also alluded to a recent incident in Sarawak where a Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) interviewer had plied a scholarship-seeking native top scorer with questions on Islam despite Nigel Unchart Jeremiah declaring himself a Christian.

Kitingan said such actions must stop.

Blaming the policies and attitude of the government, Kiitingan said: “We must stop all this nonsense as this will only create chaos and destroy the country.

“We are going to fall behind if this continues as it is leading us to become an institutionalised country.

“Malaysia, especially Sabah and Sarawak was always meant to be secular.”

“It is a sad thing to see Malaysia turning into a racist and religious-biased country,” said Kitingan, who also helms Sabah chapter of Star.