DAP commends ordinary Malaysians, both Muslims and non-Muslims, for uniting together in disdain and condemnation of the offensive act of the Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana

Many are angered at such humiliation of non-Muslim students by using the pretext of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. As a Muslim ulama told me, non-Muslims can eat in front of Muslims and the Muslim will get more “pahala”(merit). Islam does not permit such actions and DAP hopes that Malaysians can differentiate between the peaceful and noble Islam from those who distort the good name of Islam to force young children to such degrading treatment.

Malaysians have a right to be angry at such irresponsible and irrational action by the school. In expressing their anger, DAP hopes that this can be channelled against the Education Ministry’s failure to inculcate respect of all religions. The Education Ministry’s failure to take into account the sensitivities of other religions is only a reflection of the attitude of the BN leaders in Federal government.

Such insensitivity towards the feelings of non-Muslims can be shown by the refusal of the BN Federal government to act against Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali’s threat to burn the Bible and BN parliamentary candidate for Shah Alam Zulkifli Noordin’s anti-Hindu insults and had failed to withdraw nor apologise. In contrast, the young Alvivi couple were punished even though they had had apologised for their disgraceful act that showed no respect to the holy month of Ramadan.

For that reason, parents can not be blamed for refusing to send their children to government primary schools but to vernacular schools instead, out of fears for their children’s well-being. Hopefully, these children will not suffer from an inferiority syndrome after such an unpleasant experience.

MIC, Gerakan and MCA’s continued presence in BN, despite their complete irrelevance and failure to make any significant contribution to BN, shows that these discredited parties favour the perks and privileges of office more than the principles and policies that benefit the rakyat. How can these political parties still remain in a BN that seeeks to represent only one community or one section?

Let Malaysians, Muslim and non-Muslims, stand together against such provocative misbehaviour and discriminatory treatment in this school in Sungai Buloh. Let us stand together in solidarity with our humanity, against the culture of racism and hate by reaffirming that despite our different faiths and colour skins, we all belong to one race- the human race.

Lim Guan Eng DAP Secretary General & MP for Bagan