3 Dead Girls In 1Malaysia

By Richard Wee

From Loyarburok, 3 Nov 2009

What is this 1 Malaysia camp at Kuala Dipang in Perak? If not for that unfortunate death of the 3 girls, many of us wouldn’t know of this camp. How can the Government even consider sending kids as young as that age to camps, to teach about this concept called 1 Malaysia, which until now has not been explained to the people.

All I see with this so-called unity concept, is expensive billboards all over Kuala Lumpur put up by Government owned companies calling us to embrace this concept.

What is taught in these camps? Why are you teaching kids as young as 11 and 12 concepts, which are not even explained to their parents?

Please tell us what is 1 Malaysia, when we still have racial and religious discrimination in Malaysia perpetrated by the very Government calling for us to be 1?

A probe team was formed by the Education Ministry to investigate the broken bridge. But so far I don’t see any explanation by the Government as to what this camp is about and how it is that political agendas are being taught in our schools?

If this government insists on having these kinds of camps, then the Barisan government has no moral right to reprimand parents who take along their kids to peaceful demonstrations, like the recent one against the ISA.

Is it all right to try to brain-wash young Malaysians with unproven and unexplained concepts as part of a political agenda, like 1 Malaysia, but not all right for parents to bring along their kids for a peaceful protest in exercise of their fundamental liberty to assemble peacably?

It is of course always better to place the kids’ safety first, and people may question the wisdom of bringing kids to a demonstration knowing full well that the water-cannon-happy PDRM will not hesitate to shoot the water cannon at you.

On that logic, if taking kids along demos is not right, then how can taking kids to some boot-camp be right?

This incident at Kuala Dipang, has deepened the suspicion of Malaysians over the quality of Malaysia’s education system. Schools are supposed to teach kids about values and principles, not political agendas and unexplained concepts with some digit 1 on it.

So many questions, but no 1 clear answer.