YOURSAY | 'Let us face the issue head on. And understand non-Muslim fears.'

Yoursay: Come to the ground and listen to us on Jawi issue, says Siti Kasim

Newday: I agree with Gabungan Seni Khat Action Team (Sekat). Go back to the drawing board for Jawi.

This does not make it dead and buried. It just needs to be properly and completely thought out and discussed with all stakeholders.

This plainly did not happen. If it had, most of the current grief over the teaching of Jawi in our schools would not have occurred.

Anonymous_1371547149: Most Chinese Malaysians are not against Jawi or khat per se. They are against the waste of their children's time in schools.

Should Latin or Sanskrit be introduced in schools, the Chinese will be against it. Why? Because they don't see the value in learning it.

If they believe there is any value in learning anything, even if it is not taught in schools, they will pay additional money to send their children to learn it (for example, piano, violin, ballet, IT programming).

So don't turn their right to protest into an anti-Malay or anti-Constitution thing. They are just anti-waste of time.

Libra: Indeed, the issue is the allocation of time and effort. There are 101 subjects to be taught, but we want the most important ones in our schools as there is lack of time.

How could the subject in issue be of importance to a child when reading, mathematical skills or writing are ignored. How could this insignificant subject be of extreme necessity?

The answer is the self-interest of pseudo leaders with myopic thinking.

Zulkefli Ibrahim: Three pages of Jawi, and two sentences in Jawi. What's the fuss about?

The words in Jawi on our currency notes - do you folks know what they are? What's wrong with explaining the Jawi in our currency notes and emblem?

It’s Jawi-phobia for the racist Dong Zong and directionless Siti Kasim.

Clever Voter: People, in general, don't like change. But we need to review the motives of the people behind the change. It's not the three-page thing, but the repercussions.

Had there been trust in the first place, there would be more mutual respect and tolerance. How about making a choice of three languages available to all? Would this be more sensible?

David Dass: Let us face the issue head-on. And understand non-Muslim fears. Non-Muslims are terrified of attempts made to convert their children.

How real this fear is, I do not know. But the attempts by zealots to convert non-Muslims to Islam is the real reason for the opposition to khat.

After all, it is simply three pages of another language. And these are communities who are already bilingual or trilingual.

Add to that, the issues of relevancy and an already overloaded curriculum. Why create an unnecessary problem?

The Analyser: The reason Malaysia is in its present plight is because no politician has ever listened to the voice of the people. And why would they want to listen to anyone else?

Their insecurities demand that they appear to be above reproach, that they should know everything. Yet their performance screams otherwise.

If the total lack of any vision, direction and policies within every party is not good enough proof of their inability to perform, then their performance in Parliament is absolute proof.

I would suggest to lawyer Siti Kasim and Co that they cease stressing on what the people want, and start telling the people what you are going to give them. Then let the people decide whether they like your brand of medicine... or not. That’s the way democracy works.

But learn the lessons from the Pakatan Harapan manifesto fiasco:

1. Avoid vote-buying by concentrating on the big issues.

2. Explore those issues in-depth and come up with concrete answers.

3. Show your commitment to your projects with costing and timelines.

4. Give people the confidence that you know what you are doing.

5. And don't make any attempt to manipulate the economy, because you will fail.

6. Above all, mean what you say.

VW: We want a New Malaysia and nothing less. We want meritocracy and nothing less. We all know that affirmative programmes are big failures.

Religion, race and royalty should be kept out of politics, education and business for the country to progress. These are mandatory requirements to progress the nation.

I think all right-minded politicians and so-called Islamic leaders are aware of it also. But for their selfish ulterior motives, they are willing to compromise the future of the country.

Fortunately, we are all watching.

Mazilamani: Except for the first three PMs who went to the ground to hear the people, the remaining (maybe except for Najib Abdul Razak) never stepped down from their high pedestal. That is why their thinking and actions differ from the rakyat's wishes and needs.

Take, for example, the khat issue. They claim they held elaborate discussions at the cabinet level, but did they discuss it with the vernacular educational organisations? Can the education minister confirm meeting the affected stakeholders?

People, the very people who elected the Yang Berhormats, strongly feel that things are pushed down their throats.

This has nothing to do with race. But race is conveniently used to threaten others.

Quigonbond: The prime minister is clearly playing racial politics, trying to ingratiate himself with PAS, his supporter.

The longer he is around, the more he is able to subvert and frustrate Harapan's moderate and progressive leadership.

Anonymous_gem49: A racist leader cannot see anything beyond his myopic religious view of Malaysia. This has always been the modus operandi of Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He gets others to do his dirty work.

In the past, the public was muzzled, but that is not the case anymore.

Fei Ma: Don’t shame them, lah. They are ‘Yang Berhormat’.

They will not come down from their high pedestal. Except, of course, during election time. They will promise you anything, even if they don’t mean to carry it out. So, don’t be stupid next time.

Yoursay: Investigate Gamis for inciting racial hatred

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