DAP leader questions call to take down CNY deco at Puchong school

(FMT) – A DAP leader has urged a secondary school principal in Selangor not to succumb to pressure from a little-known Malay party to take down Chinese decorations at her school.

Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh said the call by Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) to take down the decorations at SMK Pusat Bandar Puchong I was uncalled for and unprecedented.

“I understand the principal of the school has agreed to take down the said decorations as according to her, they were put up without approval.

“I wonder whose approval is required for such decorations to be put up in a school?” he asked.

In a letter to the school’s principal, Rohani Mohd Nor, Putra claimed that it had received complaints from parents about “excessive” Chinese New Year decorations at the school.

“There were parents who said the atmosphere of the school is that of a Chinese department store and has non-Muslim religious elements that could create discomfort among Muslim students and contravene Article 3(1) of the constitution,” Putra said in the letter.

The party also accused the principal of allowing the propagation of other religions among its Muslim students.

Ramkarpal said the claims were “simply incomprehensible and downright illogical”.

“Going by Putra’s twisted logic, all CNY decorations across the country would have to be taken down for purportedly being unconstitutional,” he added.

He said the question of religious propagation does not arise.

“I have yet to hear of anyone forcing their religion upon anyone else on such festive occasions and I highly doubt that the said decorations contain any religious elements and were merely decorative in nature.

“For time immemorial, Malaysians have enjoyed these festive occasions together as a people and such a tradition must continue,” said Ramkarpal, who urged the education ministry to launch an inquiry into the episode.