Yoursay: Seeing red over Chinese New Year decorations in school

YOURSAY | Who is Mohd Khairul to comment on this matter when he is often seen in a Western suit?

CNY decorations in school – another powderkeg

MOE supports cultural exchanges in school

Vijay 47: Just when I thought that extremism cannot sink any lower, we have its latest contribution to national well-being – this controversy over Chinese New Year decorations.

But in a way, all of us, including me by commenting here, are giving the issue far more attention than it is worthy of. If your neighbourhood dog barks at you, do you bark back or bite it, or do you simply ignore it and go on about your business?

My family experience with the various festivals in Malaysia must be, I am sure, something that most families similarly celebrate and enjoy. For example, unlike Malay-Muslim fanatics, all my grandchildren go to events like Hari Raya, Christmas, Deepavali, and Chinese New Year.

These are school occasions they not only look forward to but are also the welcome reason to be dressed in the appropriate cultural costume like cheongsam, vesti and jubbah, mini-sari, or baju Melayu. They have not turned into Hindus, Malays, or Chinese.

I cannot understand why the deputy minister of education (Teo Nie Ching) should make a visit to the school (SMK Pusat Bandar Puchong 1). The problem can be resolved easily.

Without pussyfooting about or being apologetic, she should issue a short and clear statement that the celebration of festivals in schools are an intrinsic part of our heritage and will continue to be practised by all.

For his part, even if he does have the benefit of any sound foundation in law, the inspector-general of police (IGP) should recognise that the demands by Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) against the school decorations are seditious and likely to give rise to racial tensions and disorder.

He should arrest and charge them accordingly without any mollycoddling. But going by his record so far, his hypocrisy would not allow him to.

Drngsc: Lawyer and Putra vice-president Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz, you are just a troublemaker trying to cause problems. There is no issue here.

If you equate Chinese Lunar New Year to a religious festival, then you clearly do not know what you are talking about. How did you manage to pass your law exam?

Chinese New Year is a cultural event to mark the beginning of the lunar year. It has nothing to do with religion.

Please go get yourself educated. When Raya comes, please feel free to put up Raya greetings, and when Deepavali comes, our Indian friends are free to put up Diwali decorations. That is Malaysia. We have unity in diversity.

If you can’t see or understand that, I feel so sorry for you. You may be literate but certainly not educated.

JW: It is very easy to diffuse this issue. Get the prime minister to denounce Putra for wrongly understanding Chinese New Year as a religious event instead of cultural event. The police led by IGP Abdul Hamid Bador should immediately take action against Putra on their extremist actions.

Just because some extremist Malays equate their culture with Islam does not mean other races do the same. For Putra to think it such a manner highlights their arrogant and stupidity in forcing their nonsense on others.

They should, and must, be stopped by the Pakatan Harapan government. Otherwise, this kind of idiocy will continue indefinitely and making not only these extremist Malays a laughing stock but also taint all Malaysians as morons.

Galaxy M: When is race and religion bigotry going to end in our society that is supposed to be built on diversity of race, religion, culture and language?

Chinese culture is part of the minority community and so is Indian culture. Does it mean that the minority culture has to be subjugated to please the whims and fancy of the majority community?

The prime minister and all Harapan Malay leaders should educate their community so as to make the country a true melting pot of all races. The nation will never prosper and progress as long as the majority community treats non-Malays and non-Muslims as second-class citizens.

Demoted To 4th Class Citizen: My goodness, what has happened to this country? The attention of cabinet ministers is aroused over such petty issues.

Please haul up Mohd Khairul and interview him over a pot of coffee and see why he is so sensitive about such decorations.

Decorations such as these are almost a norm in almost all Chinese schools in Sabah. What is the big deal?

Mazilamani: Perhaps it is best if Malaysians do not travel overseas. If innocent Chinese New Year decorations can influence our children to lust for another culture, how much more damage can be inflicted on holidaymakers or travellers who step into an airport filled with foreigners and eat at restaurants frequented by other races?

Mohd Khairul is frequently seen in a Western suit, and that is certainly not his traditional dress. What does he eat? What type of utensils does he use, the restaurants he eats in and the type of car he drives? He should consider all this before he speaks.

What age are we in and what are we teaching our children? Why instil fear, revulsion and division among school children?

The Education Ministry should not tolerate such nuisance. We sing the national anthem and recite the sacred Rukunegara together. Where is the problem?

The school’s headmaster has let down her staff and students. She should not have given this victory to Mohd Khairul.

Eyes Wide Open: I really don't understand the logic of how festive decorations can cause one to convert to another religion. If that's the case, I would have converted to four different religions every year.

Can we just not entertain Mohd Khairul or maybe send him back to the Taliban where he belongs?

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.