MASZLEE SHOULD BE SACKED: KEEP YOUR ‘DAKWAH’ IN MALAYA – SABAH PARTY HAMMERS BERSATU MAN FOR TRYING TO INCITE RELIGIOUS UNEASE AMONG EAST MALAYSIANS

SABAH and Sarawak do not need “dakwah” (Islamic propagation) on good values as these states have no religious and racial tension, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) said, amid growing critique of  Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik.

PBS secretary-general Jahid Jahim said it is the peninsula that needed such efforts, adding that Maszlee should not waste government manpower from the peninsula to intrude into the affairs of east Malaysian states.

“There is no need to intrude on religion (in East Malaysia), he (Maszlee) wants to “berdakwah” (preach), just do it in the peninsular Malaysia,” Jahid, a Muslim, said today.

“Our tolerance level is high, here in Sabah and Sarawak. He is welcome to come and learn our way of living … we will show him we do not need preaching on how to live and accept one another’s religions and beliefs,” Jahid added.

Jahid said Sabahans households had Muslims and Christians living together without any problems.

He said Maszlee should focus on the work “he is supposed to be doing” as education minister.

“Concentrate on how to improve the country’s education standards, such as empowering and further improving and prepare teachers to face a new generation (of students).”

Jahid also said Maszlee should ensure that the education syllabus gave more attention to the history of Malaysia’s formation and the Malaysia Agreement 1963, which set the terms for Sabah and Sarawak, as sovereign states, to form Malaysia with Malaya and Singapore.

“Many young people, including some politicians, are not aware about the birth of our nation,” he said.
As for schools in Sabah and Sarawak, Jahid said Maszlee should also do something about the dilapidated schools and broken school equipment, lack of textbooks and teaching materials.

Maszlee has been taken to task by several groups and leaders in Sabah and Sarawak over his recent remark that teachers from the peninsula teaching in east Malaysia make the two states their “medan dakwah” or fronts for Islamic propagation.

After facing flak from church groups and local politicians, Maszlee said what he meant by “dakwah” was the teaching good values and not Islamic propagation.

THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT