Wasatiyyah, or moderation, should start with Umno

YOURSAY | ‘Malaysians were all moderates until BN started playing the race and religious card.’

Wasatiyyah concept to be taught in school, says PM

Ravinder: "The concept of wasatiyyah, or moderation, is proposed to be incorporated in the school and university curricula to raise understanding of the concept, says Najib Abdul Razak."

Moderation cannot be "taught" through formal lessons. It will fail just like ‘Moral Education’ and ‘Religious Knowledge’. Moderation is something that has to be inculcated through daily practice.

How can this be achieved when teachers and university lecturers are allegedly practicing racism? Stop all the non-wasatiyyah actions at all educational institutions and in our society, and you will have wasatiyyah.

Anonymous #44199885: Malaysians were all moderates until BN started playing the race and religious card to fish for votes and told the majority that their position in the country, their well-being and their religion is under threat from minorities.

It is not the rakyat who led the red-shirts in the attempt to storm Petaling Street, or those who stomped on a cow's head in Shah Alam, or who protested outside a church for having a cross on it, or seized Malay-language bibles and banned Christians from using the word ‘Allah’ when the rest of the Muslim world had no issues with its use since the dawn of time.

Malaysians are by nature moderate and peaceful, but the barrage by BN leaders mouthing statements which are nothing short of racist and religious bigotry has caused concern about the future of Malaysia.

Anonymous#007: As 'noble' as this seems on the outset, it simply reeks of another attempt by Umno-BN to surreptitiously brainwash and Islamise our children in school.

Why not simply make it mandatory for all students to take Moral Studies? It is obvious all the Malaysian Islamists who are inspired by IS (Islamic State) have not been taught Moral Studies in school.

In fact, why not make the subject mandatory for all civil servants and ministers?

Hornbill: Indeed, wassatiyah or moderation should start with Umno, more specifically with Najib himself.

Is it "moderation" to allegedly siphon off such a huge sum of money allegedly belonging to taxpayers from 1MDB for use in the 13th general election?

Is it moderation to impose on the rakyat 6 percent GST (Goods and Services Tax) straight away - instead of starting with a low figure like 3 percent and raising it gradually over several years - to apparently pay for the money allegedly stolen from 1MDB?

Is it moderation for the PM's wife to use the government jet to allegedly go shopping overseas, to buy luxury handbags and jewellery?

Wassatiyah should start with the PM before he preaches it to the rest of the population who are already practicing moderation as dictated by necessity.

Fairnsquare: Let us not blame the PM alone for racial disharmony in the country.

It was during the 1980s that we saw a change in our situation, when benefits became privileges and those who needed assistance became 'tuans' with the ‘ketuanan’ mentality driven by the then leadership, which the PM inherited.

It is good to recognise the need for change and it must be supported. Let us not let the 1MDB issue cloud our minds that we cannot see the need for wassatiyah.

Drngsc: PM, please do not be a hypocrite. Whenever you feel threatened, you use race and religion for your own ends.

It is not as if you do not know. You know, but you still make use of religion and race to consolidate your power base.

Anonymous Hotplate: You have instilled race and religious fear among your people by blaming DAP. It is you who should stop all these ‘ketuanan’ thing first.

Mosquitobrain: Najib, talk is cheap. By the way, where is the pastor, Raymond Koh?

Not Convinced: PM, how about first incorporating the wassatiyah concept in Biro Tatanegara (BTN)?

Minister shares fake Guinness record cert on social media

Thickskin: Is it not possible for Finemen Holdings to first liaise with Guinness World Records (GWR) and obtain official confirmation?

Please do not try to pull the wool over our eyes. It now appears that in Malaysia, politicians enter election for fun and we like to treat serious issues with gimmicks.

Chipmunk: We have a PM who was elected with allegedly fake results, an attorney-general who has given an allegedly fake clearance of MO1's (Malaysian Official 1’s) involvement in 1MDB, lots of fake Tan Sris and Datos, ministers with allegedly fake certificates.

So, tell me something that isn't fake?

Anonymous 2436471476414726: For crying out loud why are we so obsessed with Guinness Book of Records and for the so-called "largest gathering of chefs"?

Surely there are lots more important things or events to occupy us. A federal minister is in it too? What a laugh.

Simple Malaysian: What surprises me is that a minister can fall for such an alleged con. I will take back my words if the minister was fully aware of this.

For now, I shall give him the benefit of doubt that he was duped into believing it. That brings me to question how in the world he could not see the grammatical errors.

Ipohcrite: The poor standard of English used in the purported certificate gave the game away.

Indeed, why the minister and his cohorts are so concerned with such trivial records really beats me, especially when there are so many pressing matters that deservedly require the honourable minister's attention?- Mkini