Come to the ground and listen to us on Jawi issue, says Siti Kasim

Activist Siti Kasim has urged politicians to come to the ground and to listen to the people after Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad warned against the Chinese Organisations Congress to be organised by Chinese educationist group Dong Zong and Jiao Zong (Dong Jiao Zong).

"What we are doing is our democratic right within the law. There should not be any fear of anything.

"Our prime minister is submitting to these voices which are negative voices. I would say that the politicians can say whatever, but we cannot change this country by relying on the politicians.

"If politicians cannot see what we see, then come to our talk, listen to us. Sometimes they have to come down to the ground.

"Instead of making comments from your high pedestal, you come down. Don't just make comments," Siti Kasim said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

She was part of the Gabungan Seni Khat Action Team (Sekat), which had earlier announced at a press conference that they intend to hold a separate congress complementing Dong Jiao Zong's congress against the introduction of Jawi script in the syllabus of vernacular schools.

Previously, Mahathir had warned that the Chinese Organisations Congress would lead to chaos as Malay groups will react in a "very Malay way".

"(If) they wanted to do something that is very Chinese, the Malays’ response will be very Malay, (including) asking Chinese schools to be closed. You do that kind of thing (Chinese congress) and you will get a reaction.

"We are (living in a) multiracial country, it is important for us to be considerate about other people's feelings," Mahathir had said.

Dong Jiao Zong plans to organise a Chinese Organisations Congress on Dec 28 to protest the latest teaching guidelines of the Education Ministry for Jawi script lessons.

The aim of the congress is to convince the government to cancel the lessons in vernacular schools.

Sekat's congress, meanwhile, is to pressure the Education Ministry to go back to the drawing board with its plan to introduce Jawi lessons and to fully engage with representatives from all ethnicities in Malaysia on this.

Sekat also wants to discuss and explore the Jawi issue in a more thorough and academic manner, on grounds that many people do not fully understand the issue. - Mkini