Last chance for a truly Malaysian history
Press Statement by Dr. Lim Teck Ghee, CPI
The current ongoing public debate over the history syllabus and textbooks may represent the last opportunity for Malaysians to have their say on how history is to be taught to children in the national school system.
During the past few months, various critics have focused especially on the history syllabus and textbooks currently in use and have provided much evidence of the shortcomings. Some of these shortcomings include:
* An over-emphasis on Islamic civilization and religion and on the Malay contribution
* The omission or marginalization of the contributions and roles of the non-Malays and other religions
* A strong ethno-centric and political bias
* Lack of objectivity and truthfulness
* Numerous factual errors and mistakes
Despite the readiness of critics, including many worried parents, to meet with the authorities and discuss their concerns, the only response to date from the Ministry of Education officials is a public relations letter with details of some token non-Malay participation in the writing of textbooks and referrals made in recommending textbook writers.
Perkasa has now jumped into the fray, with one of its leaders, Dr Ramlah Adam, taking issue with Dr Ranjit Singh Malhi’s recent talk titled “The Islamic and Malay-centric nature of our history textbooks.” In her response to Dr Ranjit’s presentation, Dr Ramlah has lamented that “the non-Malays do not understand [Malaysia’s history] because they do not want to accept the concept of Malay supremacy (ketuanan Melayu)”.
Perkasa leader, Ibrahim Ali’s response has been more succinct in dismissing the critics seeking a revamp of the history syllabus and textbooks. According to him, “Islam is the religion, Malays are the majority …its simple”. Further he elaborates that “the minorities” … [should] not be too demanding in wanting to assert their rights.” In other words, his brutal message to those seeking a reform of the history syllabus and textbooks is to put up or shut up.
If past experience is anything to go by, we can expect this firestorm to quickly die out. This is not the first time that charges of creeping political bias, crass nationalism and blatant Islamisation in the history syllabus and textbooks have been raised and have – in double quick time – disappeared from the political or public radar screen.
Not so long ago in 2008, Lok Seng Kok, a Member of Parliament from the MCA wrote:
“When receiving the MCA delegation on education recently, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin expressed hope that the five-yearly review of the secondary school history textbook which is going to start soon will not be politicised. He asked the MCA representatives to look at the review from a wider perspective.
I am one of the representatives who met the minister. Though I faced opposition after the parliamentary debate as I raised the incomprehensiveness and imbalance of the textbook in its contents and syllabus, I did not give up. Instead I initiated a review group and later obtained the recognition and acceptance of the MCA leadership for the review paper.
In this review paper, we proposed that the ministry set up a committee to re-examine the curriculum, the committee having a balanced and multi-racial composition to ensure the quality and balanced content of the textbook.
Currently Loh is a member of the MCA central committee, a member of the MCA presidential council, and deputy chairman of the party’s publicity bureau. But strangely he has gone all quiet on the issue.
How quickly he appears to have turned from lion to mouse.
A gutless and clueless printed mass media; an apathetic public (only 2,500 members of the public to date have signed the on-line petition calling for the review of the history syllabus – see here); sycophantic or can’t be bothered academics; and perhaps most important of all, a bunch of spineless BN-affiliated political toadies, and ineffectual opposition, who are unwilling to stand their ground on what constitutes the real history of the country have been responsible for the debased version that is being propagated in schools.
But there is still time for sensible and concerned Malaysians of all races and religions to reject the racialised and propagandistic version of Malaysian history that, if not thoroughly reformed, will irreparably damage our young minds through its politically and racially sifted, factually twisted and ultimately anti-intellectual content and agenda.
For this to happen, all the major and minor players responsible for history teaching in the country as well as other stake-players, including parents need to act quickly to provide or demand substantive answers – not cheap polemical or political debating points – to the concerns raised by Dr Ranjit and others.
Meanwhile the very least that Malaysians can do is sign the online petition and mobilize friends and family to do the same.
And a final appeal to those who have mixed feelings about this campaign: This is not about taking sides on race or religion but about getting our history correct and truly reflective of what really happened in the past. We have a complex multiracial and multicultural-hued history which should be scrupulously and honestly conveyed in the school syllabus and textbooks.
