KUALA LUMPUR – Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has urged the Education Ministry to establish clear guidelines for the contentious Palestine Solidarity Week programme in schools.
Speaking to Scoop, Hamzah emphasised the importance of ensuring that these school programmes do not cause offence to any parties.
The Larut MP suggested that the schools involved should conduct these programmes in a controlled manner.
Hamzah mentioned that even Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has stated that participation in the programme is not mandatory for all educational institutions. However, he encouraged a demonstration of solidarity with the Palestinians’ plight.
“In my opinion, schools can hold such assemblies in support of Palestine, but there should be a certain level of oversight in organising these events. They should not be conducted without restraint to the extent that they offend people,” he said.
The Palestine Solidarity Week, scheduled to run from October 29 to November 3, has garnered mixed reactions from the public.
This week-long programme, themed around “peace and humanitarianism,” aims to educate students about the ongoing challenges faced by Palestinians.
However, criticisms arose after a 55-second video clip depicting a man dressed as a “militant” holding a toy gun in a school programme went viral on October 28.
Previously, Parent Action Group for Education chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim urged the Education Ministry to discontinue the programme and suggested that students participate in programmes promoting reading instead.
Meanwhile, 12 PKR lawmakers, including Gopeng MP Tan Kar Hing and Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung, have called on the Education Ministry to review its decision to organise the Palestine Solidarity Week.
They argue that educational institutions should be free from elements of vendetta and violence, expressing concerns that the ministry’s inability to monitor these assemblies may lead to resentment and violence. – October 28, 2023