The Malayan Christian Schools’ Council (MCSC) held a Press Conference this morning, December 17, 2009 at the MCSC HQ in Petaling Jaya. This is to express the shock of MCSC at the exclusivity of the recently announced SPM 10+2 subjects and the marginalization of subjects like Bible Knowledge.
Press Statement by MCSC
SHOCKED BY SPM 10+2 EXCLUSIVITY
The Malayan Christian Schools’ Council is shocked at the Government’s decision not to include Bible Knowledge in the 2 additional SPM subjects as announced recently.
This is despite repeated representations and memoranda to the authorities concerned since June this year.
In The Star Online news report dated Tuesday December 8, 2009 it was announced that the two additional SPM subjects are limited to Bahasa Arab, Bahasa Cina, Bahasa Tamil, Chinese Literature and Tamil Literature.
This decision appears to have been hastily taken without due consultation. It has unjustly excluded other subjects which are highly valued by ethnic and religious minorities in Malaysia.
Among these subjects are Bahasa Iban, Bahasa Punjab and Bible Knowledge. This marginalisation is a source of great consternation among the affected communities which constitute a significant percentage of Malaysians.
We urge the Cabinet, in particular the Minister of Education, to leave the choice of the two additional SPM subjects to the candidate. Surely, such an inclusive approach is more in line with the PM’s vision of 1Malaysia “People First, Performance Now”.
YAP KOK KEONG
Chairman
MALAYAN CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS’ COUNCIL
Dated this 17th December 2009
(The Malayan Christian Schools’ Council represents the Mission Authorities of the Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Brethren, Presbyterian and Basel Churches)
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Let’s dig out exactly who were the individuals who left out or pushed out the Bible Knowledge subject etc. That way, those individuals can be held personally responsible/accountable – so that they won’t have a chance to play up religious tensions and use that as an excuse/ammunition. We also need to stand together with our Malaysian brothers to retain Bahasa Iban, Bahasa Punjabi, Bahasa Kadazan etc.
Hello!
Granted we are unable to share our religion but let us be grateful to share our language and our contributions as a race to society.
THIS IS A DISGRACE….I AM VERY SHOCKED AND SAD TO READ THIS….WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE IS THIS SENDING ….THERE ARE MANY INDIANS, CHINESE, MALAY SABAHANS AND SARAWAKIANS WHO ARE ALSO CHIRISTIANS AND CATHOLICS..
SHAME ON THE PEOPLE WHO STARTED THIS NONSENSE. SHAME ON YOU!
IT WAS BAD ENOUGH SINCE THE TIME I WAS WEARING THE CROSS I WAS BANNED TO WEAR IT AND TODAY I AM STILL ASKED TO DO SO WHEN IT IS MY BELIEF AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEF OR WHO ARE OF ANOTHER RELIGION…
HAVE YOU SUCH FEAR AND SUCH LITTLE FAITH IN YOUR OWN BELIEFS THAT YOU MUST WASTE SO MUCH ENERGY AND TIME ON THIS WHEN YOU SHOULD BE BETTERING THE EDUCATION SYSTEM….TO HAVE ENGLISH AS A NUMBER ONE AND MORE SUBJECTS IN ENGLISH IN SCHOOL COS IT IS THE INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE LIKE IT OR NOT, AND THE REST ARE ALL LANGUAGES YOU CAN HAVE AS EXTRA LESSONS CHINESE MALAY OR JAWI BUT BIBLE STUDIES ARE FOR THOSE WHO ARE CHRISTIANS AND NOT FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEF….IN CHRIST
SHAME ON YOU …THOSE WHO HAVE STARTED THIS…..WHAT KIND OF EDUCATION DID YOU GET….IT MUST BE A VERY BAD ONE….
FRANCISSCA PETER.
ONE MALAYSIA HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT HAS BEEN THERE A LONG TIME….RESPECT FOR OTHER PEOPLES FAITH.
“ONE” MALAYSIA MEANS EXACTLY UNITED AND FAIR AND EQUAL BEING ONE THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING IN ENGLISH WHICH IS ALSO EQUATED TO FREEDOM FOR ALL RACE AND RELIGIOUS….SO LEAVE THE RELIGION ALONE COS THAT IS RESPECT FOR OTHERS…
I NEVER HEARD OF THE PEOPLE BEING ARRESTED FOR SPITTING THE HOS WHICH IS WORSE WHEN THEY WENT TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND DID THAT OR THE ONES WHO CUT THE COWS HEAD AND WERE DISRESPECTFUL…
STOP THIS, STOP THIS, COS IT IS NOT NICE TO HURT OTHER PEOPLE
“Bahasa Arab, Bahasa Cina, Bahasa Tamil, Chinese Literature and Tamil Literature”, “Bahasa Iban, Bahasa Punjab and Bible Knowledge”
I’ve survived without them, and hey, I’m still a Catholic. Sorry, I just can’t see why we need those subjects at all. Probably for bragging rights when someone scores an A for any of those subjects, I think. Scoring an A doesn’t make you a better christian/linguist, it only means that you have an exceptionally good memory.
My question is very simple……….What are these people afraid of? Is their faith so fragile?
alexbeemer
It is not an issue of whether you “need” the subjects or not. It is not a question of survival, nor bragging rights.
It is a question of civil liberties, being given the right to choose the subject of our choice, instead of being restricted by another person who happens to have a different religious or ethnic background to ours.
If we do nothing to stop such an erosion, more of our civil liberties will be chipped away until we have none.
Remember, at the very beginning of Merdeka and the formation of Malaysia, it was truly 1Malaysia with mutual respect for all; Islam was the official religion but Malaysia was a secular state, Sabah & Sarawak were exempt from Islam-centricity; all races are equal.
Then, some demented Doctor declared we’ve “always been an Islamic state” and today, it is taken as fact because nobody opposed it when the mistake was made. This is just one of the fallouts from doing nothing.
Thus, whether you “need” Iban, Punjab and Bible Knowledge” or not, or whether you can survive and remain a Catholic with or without, be careful you’re not like the six million Jews who thought Hitler was a rambling lunatic who cannot be taken seriously. They ended up in the Holocaust, or would you believe that it never happened.
In short…. ITS SICKENING !
Dear Decision makers of the country,
Are you reading all this? What a vast difference it is from the time of your schooling days where you were exposed to a harmonious environment where you were taught to respect all religion and races! Your schooling days saw many friendships blooming across cultures! Why aren’t you promoting that environment to our kids who will be leaders of tomorrow? We are feeling very hurt because this certainly does not reflect the true 1Malaysia spirit! It is making the sacrifices of our older generations amount to nothing! Have a heart for the less fortunate ones! Concentrate yr resources to more abstract issues for the benefit of the future leaders of the country! We need more positive Malaysia Boleh spirit just like the recent performance in the SEA games!! Think Malaysia as a whole! Each and every one born on Malaysia soil are rooting out for you decision makers to make informed decisions about the future of the country! Do not let us Malaysians fall behind!
meh
Hi Alexbeemer & David Netto,
I’m not sure how much you know about your faith, church history and other religions.
It is not just a matter of these 3 subjects that are not included in the SPM. But THE AGENDA BEHIND IT.
This announcement is very obvious to me. Lina Joy case, ban Allah for Christians, limiting churches in Malaysia(only in factory areas) and now this… Can you see the bigger picture?
i would like to know whether i can stil take Bible knowledge as one of my SPM paper.. and whether Bible knowledge is included in the list of subjects for selection for JPA scholars as i am a science student and can only take up one subject…