Be firm, don’t let religion become policy, govt told

Ex-MP Tawfik Ismail says religion is being overemphasised, especially in national schools.

SUBANG JAYA: The government of the day must be firm in ensuring that religious and right-wing elements are not put into the education system, a former MP said.

Former Sungai Benut MP Tawfik Ismail said from the past to the present government, it appeared that the education minister was powerless in the fight against such elements being put into the education system.

“But they (the government) can stand firm and say no. But who is doing it? They are not putting their foot down.

“In the case of religion, I wrote letters to MPs in the last Parliament, when Pandikar Amin Mulia was the speaker, to please remember the oath they took to defend the constitution.

“But it has been quiet,” he said after attending the second Tan Chee Khoon lecture at Holiday Villa last night.

On lawmakers leading the way in ensuring religion does not become a policy, Tawfik said each party had its own problems.

Former Sungai Benut MP Tawfik Ismail.

“For instance, if the DAP spoke out against it (religion), they would be termed anti-Islam. The Umno people and the moderates dare not speak, because their constituents would think they are liberals.

“But somebody has to stand firm. Our policy is not religion. You can be religious, but you cannot make religion our policy.

“As far as the Federal Constitution is concerned, you have the special rights for the Malays already preserved, so you do not have to worry about it.

“The fact is that people are saying you have to worry about it, but the threat is not there. The threat is being played up for no good reason,” he said.

Tawfik said religion was being overemphasised, especially in national schools – something which Tan, who was the opposition leader, would have objected to.

“He believed that education is a unifying force, so the minute you put things into schools that make other people turn away, it would be something unacceptable, in the Malaysian context,” he said.

In his speech earlier, Tawfik said Tan, back in the 1960s and 1970s, showed empathy for and expressed personal sadness at the failure of the federal government to develop education for the Malay schoolchildren.

“What would he say today, I wonder, if he saw how increasing religious dogma has stifled present-day Malay schoolchildren?

“Perhaps he may agree, that it is one thing to be religious, but it is another to make religion your policy.

“And I hope, this message goes to the government,” he said.

Tawfik said the late opposition leader was an “outstanding Malaysian and an exceptional parliamentarian, a patriot and a nationalist”.

“In 1967, he supported the national language bill and went against his own Labour Party.

“In fact, he went on to give advice to the government on how to strengthen the acceptance of the national language,” Tawfik added.

Tan was a major figure in Malaysian politics from 1959 to 1978 and was nicknamed “Mr Opposition” for the outspoken views he presented in Parliament. He was opposition leader in Parliament from 1964 to 1978, when he retired.

Tan was originally the leader of the Labour Party of Malaya and the Socialist Front coalition, which Labour had joined.

He later co-founded Gerakan, and also Parti Keadilan Masyarakat (Pekemas), after he became disillusioned with Gerakan. - FMT