Yesterday, I received a complaint on my blog from Vimaleson Gunaratnam, a parent of a seven-year-old pupil at SK Taman Hi-Tech, Kulim that non-Malay students in the school were separated from Malay students last Wednesday and Thursday for the whole morning session until recess time and shown a Tamil movie, Pokkiri, which is full of violence and sex.
He sent a letter of protest to the school principal and I read out his letter in Parliament a few hours later during the committee stage debate of the 2006 Supplementary Estimates on the Education Ministry, and asked for a full investigation by the Education Ministry.
This is Vimaleson’s protest letter which I read out in Parliament yesterday:
20hb April, 2007
Tuan Gurubesar,
SK Taman Hi-Tech,
Taman Hi-Tech Kulim,
Kedah.Tuan,
PER: TAYANGAN GAMBAR TAMIL SEMASA WAKTU SEKOLAH.
Seperti yang dimaklumkan di atas, saya sebagai waris, ingin mendapat penjelasan daripada pihak tuan, rational mengapa gambar Tamil ditayangkan semasa waktu persekolahan baru-baru ini. Kejadian tersebut berlaku berturut-turut 2 hari pada 18 dan 19hb April, 2007. Pada masa tersebut pelajar-pelajar bukan Melayu diasingkan ke sebuah bilik.
Gambar yang ditayangkan bertajuk Pokkiri. Ia dibintangi oleh Vijay. Tahukah pihak sekolah yang gambar yang dibintangi oleh Vijay mempunyai unsur-unsur ganas and seks yang keterlaluan. Saya sebagai bapa tidak anak-anak saya menonton gambar di rumah saya, tetapi pihak sekolah telah membawa anak perempuan saya berumur 7 tahun untuk menonton gambar ini berturut-turut dua hari. Saya hantar anak saya ke sekolah untuk belajar ilmu, bukan belajar nilai-nilai yang tidak diingini.
Saya hendak pihak sekolah memberi penjelasan:
1. Kenapa tiada pengajaran untuk pelajar-pelajar bukan Melayu pada 2 hari tersebut?
2. Mengapa gambar ditayangkan semasa waktu pengajaran?
3. Mengapa gambar yang berunsur ganas dan seks ditayangkan?
Terima kasih.
Vimaleson is particularly incensed that the movie Pokkiri, (translated the meaning is “Thug”) starred by Vijay and which is full of violence, is shown in school when he would not allow such a movie at home.
He asked: “What kind of values the school trying inoculate to the kids; violence, sensuality, etc?”
#1 by ahkok1982 on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 12:48 pm
easy explanation. malay students r hitting rock bottom in terms of education n moral values. so what do they do to level e playing field w/o having to change e lazy malay culture? sow bad seeds into other races so tt they will also turn out to b trash. in this case, e school would want e students to turn out to b thugs.
This is something which a Malay taxi driver told me when I took his taxi on e way back home from KLIA. He said tt usually malays would b lazy, gossiping instead of working n jealous of other ppl’s success even if they r family. I would not acknowledge tt this is true because everyone is different but then when it comes out of their own mouths… sad…
so this is an example of their jealousy of other ppl’s success to wanna hijack other ppl’s children.
#2 by Libra2 on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 1:09 pm
I think the Malay students were having their ugama class and the non Malays were to have pendidikan moral. since there was no teacher or as usual ,the teacher was not interested in teaching them, the short cut would be to let the non malays stay in the library and do their own work or watch a movie.
#3 by OrangKulim on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 1:59 pm
YB,
I am deeply touched by your fast response. It is not only me but lots of parents of the school are grateful to you for highlighting this issue. The main objective is that we hope the school authorities realize that we don’t live on trees anymore. The school was recently built as part of Kulim High Technology Part, parents have lots of hope and believe that this will do good to our children. We care for the children and we take note what is happening. We are very dissappointed.
It is not my style to escalate the issue to the highest level, but for this case I had no choice. I gave reasonable opportunity for the school to respond, they ignored. The district education office was also copied, they too ignored. So I had to bring to the next level.
This is not the only event which reflects the lowest level of administration capability of the school, some of which I am listing below:
1. The school collected money from parents of Standard 1 pupils for the name tags. The money was collected in January this year. Now it is end of April, but the tags are still not given. I have sent an email to the school but no response given. Although the money is small, but it is a matter of principle, if the authorities don’t have discipline, but kind of role models are they to the pupils. What excuse they have for not being able to give the name tags?
2. The school has a library, reasonable collection of books, they have many student librarians (with special coloured uniform), but the library has been closed for many many months,, reason ‘No chairs in the library’. Can you imagine that?
3. What amaze me most is that the school has DAILY assembly, it is long, and they make all the students sit on the floor on the open cemented area. The cement is so dirty, can you imagine how primary school dark blue uniform look like after that? Where is the common sense?
Dear Libra,
The movie was not shown during moral lesson. They had some special activity just for the Malays pupils those 2 days, therefore all the non-Malay students were gathered in a special area.
#4 by sotong on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 2:26 pm
The education policies had failed the people for decades…..grossly divisive, narrow and damaging in its implementation.
As compare to the past, no wonder non Malays have lost confident in national type schools. This explains the significant increase in enrolment in Chinese and Tamil schools.
When are our leaders/politicians going to learn that they are permanent, long term and far reaching consequences in making mistakes?
#5 by dawsheng on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 2:36 pm
The Minister of Education, Hishamudin must be able to provide answer for this incident, whether or not movies are part of his education blueprint? But then why is muslim students were separated? Maybe another show was screening, Hang Tuah?
Gangsterism is thriving in schools, not only that, many among the social ills were committed by juevinile. The future of the country is at stake looking at how our childrens are being brought up. Sad.
#6 by burn on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 3:21 pm
if it’s ugama lesson, then that lesson should be make as a last subject during school hour. the rest (non-muslim), should let them go home.
#7 by hasilox on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 3:25 pm
Trying to groom scumbags like those displayed in Ijok recently?
#8 by Libra2 on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 3:35 pm
OrangKulim,
Well done but beware that your child might be intimidated by the headmaster and teachers. I can also assure you that none of the higher ups will come to your defence it things get worse. They might all join hands to “get you.” As far as they are concerned, you are a trouble maker.
The PPD and headmasters all belong to the same click. They are friends and they cover up one another’s weaknesses.
As for reply that never came, they have no respect for parents, especially if you are non Malay. Do not be alarmed if you are told to take your child to another school if you are not happy.
The Malays, once a very gentle people, are becoming uglier and uglier by the day.
You could have gone to any UMNO, MCA or MIC man and I can assure you they would not have acted on your complaint.
Let’s wait to see what Kerismuddin have to say.
#9 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 3:38 pm
Story line of Pokkiri : Thamizh (Actor, Vijay) is a youth with a mission. A mafia gang controlled remotely by international don Ali Bhai ( starring Prakash Raj) operates with impunity. Thamizh is left with no option but to “fight evil with evil”. He joins the gang on his own terms in order to eliminate them. His love interest Shruthi (Asin) works as an instructor at an aerobic centre. A lecherous police cop, who is on the pay rolls of the mafia, sets his eyes on father-less Shruthi and subjects her mother to unspeakable torture. This brings Shruthi and Thamizh closer. However, for Shruthi, Thamizh remains enigmatic and his association with the marauding goons puzzles her. Ali Bhai’s men are defeated in their every move by Thamizh with indomitable courage and ingenuity. The don himself returns from abroad and launches a witch-hunt for Thamizh who strikes back with all ferocity. But Thamizh triumphs in the end.
Moral of the story:
· Sometimes one has to join the bad, pretend to be bad in order to fight the baddies, without becoming bad oneself – just like the lotus thriving in a dirty pond, amid the filth and slime and yet clean and could bloom a flower, because of its cuticle on which filth and slime cannot cling on to. It also takes “indomitable courage and ingenuity†to do this even if the love interest Shruthi is puzzled.
· Good triumphs over Evil in the End.
· “A lecherous police cop, who is on the pay rolls of the mafia†– well a reflection of what might well be true in society.
· Hero Thamizh is protector of women (both daughter and mother tortured) against lecherous cop
For seven Year olds there is much to learn from the Moral of story which will no doubt stand them in good stead to prepare them for Malaysian Society.
Violence and sex are so much in the society that one cannot escape it. Our 7 year old see these everyday even in our “censored†Holly wood films shown by ASTRO – so, do they become violent or lecherous? Some violent and sexy parts are in contexts and relevant to the story line.
Films have educational values too. When violent parts are shown, the parents should tell the children – “this is only film, the violence and the attempted rape in this scene and that scene should not be perpetrated or else this and this (unhappy results) will happen as shown in the film….
Don’t underestimate the ability of 7 year old to learn the principles under proper guidance – through films.
I understand that it is Moral Class? What do you expect to be shown – Mr Bean or Disney’s Snow White?
I am sure that Vimaleson Gunaratnam has the best interest of his child in mind but has he seen Pokkiri, has he enquired why the school shows it and what are the lessons behind the plot? Mr Gunaratnam makes the fundamental assumption amongst 7 year olds regarding some of the violent or sexy scenes – “monkeys see, monkeys do†but do our children behave like monkeys in these respects? Come come give them some measure of intelligence to our kids.
Purleeze, I am sure many of the younger ones in this blog have been watching violent and sexy Hollywood films since we were toddlers that didn’t inculcate me us more physical or sexual violent than those ultra conservative or religious sheltered from all these realities.
The thing wrong about what the school has done is to separate muslims from non muslims because there is no rational differentiating factor when it comes to education. This is not Moral NEP in action. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. The ones victimized are the Muslims students. They or their parents should be asking the school why by based on religious differences alone the Muslims students need not have to learn the Moral lessons from the film. Is it because they are already morally superior and can dispense with such education or they are too vulnerable in the sense of being unable to learn the Moral of the story and end up absorbing only the violent and sexy parts? Which is the case? If it were a third extraneous reason that the religion does not permit such viewing by the school to muslims, then where is the authority to say that the religion allows such viewing by the school to non muslims/non believers students?
#10 by private_undergrad on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 3:51 pm
While I agree that a movie with elements of sex and violence shouldn’t be screened in schools in the first place, there should be fun activities in schools which can stimulate the interests of pupils in learning new things/subjects, especially in primary schools whereby the children are particularly receptive to the surrounding environment. The school should have provided a conducive atmosphere to bring forth the best of each child, which is grossly lacking in our exam-oriented education policies.
#11 by ihavesomethingtosay on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 4:01 pm
what rto expect from an education minister that thinks bradishing dagger and uttering threats is cultural?
go away BN, just go away!
#12 by meejawa on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 4:34 pm
I was in the same situation when I was in the primary school. The Muslims will go for Kelas Ugama while the rest of us will either be left alone, or asked to watch TV, but at least showing TV Pendidikan programs. More often than not, there was no teacher present for Pendidikan Moral.
It seems that we may need a similar setup analogous to IPCMC for our Education system. Just because it does not affect National security directly doesn’t mean we can ignore it. Problems we have today are caused largely by the young leaders we cultivate, either rightly or otherwise. We have to nip the problems at the buds.
We have to realize, as what have been championed in every US elections (I’m taking US as reference because their democracy, and the voters’ aspirations are more mature), are only 2 aspects : Education and Healthcare.
I can’t see any problems which can’t be solved in any countries, if these 2 areas are nurtured sincerely, and aggressively. Just pick a problem, and you’ll be able to trace it back to one of these, or both. They are like the primary colors of a nation, everything else is derivative from them.
#13 by grace on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 4:45 pm
Dear Libra2,
I absolutely agree with your letter to anak kulim.
The whole system of admin from PPD to all level will simply say that they will look into this matter. BET YOU! The answer is ‘no problem’. The HM willkeep his cosy post, the teacher concern will get away scott free.
Instead they will turn aound to anak kulim and say,”Pi Da! HAng siapa?”
The saddest part is the child will suffer under those teachers.
Sad isn’t it? But this is the truth!!!
I must commend anak kulim for his bold move! We are all for you. But the authority? Sorry la! Useless to the core!!!
#14 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 5:26 pm
Perhaps if the ADUN OF this constituency dies, CHANGE may begin both to schools etc.
Then Kerismuddin will camp at the school canteen with ‘Smart Teachers’.
#15 by ahkok1982 on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 7:07 pm
BN must die to have progress in the country like what is happening in Machap and Iljok….
#16 by undergrad2 on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 7:51 pm
How come I didn’t get to see such ‘violent movies’ in my schooldays?? In my school days, we had to organize the screening of ‘blue films’ as they were then called rather than ‘porns’ in the school’s science labs for $2.00 per student in groups of ten – after school hours of course.
Anybody knows the origin of the word ‘blue’ ?
In my days, the only violence you see was in the John Wayne movies about cowboys and Indians. Little did I know then that the bad guys were really the cowboys and that Hollywood took unfair advantage of Indian American natives to make their money.
#17 by Jonny on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 8:07 pm
brainwash starts from young.
seeds are being planted.
We shall reap what is sown in the next 15 years or so?
Ijok should be the breaking point for wind of change to blow.
#18 by undergrad2 on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 8:30 pm
Jokes aside, without doubt the headmaster should be expelled. In the United States the teacher who gave the permission will have his or her license to teach suspended.
#19 by kurakura on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 10:00 pm
I am speechless…..
#20 by accountability on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 10:08 pm
unless malaysians wake up and realize the failure of our Education and Social Integration policies for the past 30 yrs, we WILL die a painful death at the hands of a bunch of incompetent and greedy fools in govt.
the intolerable behaviours of these teachers, headmasters, educators in our school systems today are a result of the failed and divisive policies – a policy they are now forcing upon our children
i hope whichever GOD the BN goons pray to, will smite them for such injustices!
#21 by undergrad2 on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 10:18 pm
‘Speechless’ as in Sir Lancelot was speechless when King Arthur who put on his unique chastity belt on Lady Guinevere, returned from the crusades??
#22 by greenacre on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 - 11:48 pm
I have said this before the name National School is certainly a misnomer. There is nothing whatsoever in the so called national school that is national. In fact one indian parent who went to complain in a school in johor was told off by the senior assistant with the following ‘ if you don’t like then go and register your child in Keling school’ that was about 10 years ago. The last time the ministry even send circulars to schools asking them to prohibit non muslim children from bringing their own food which may contain no halal food.
By the say LKS can you please look at provision in the Education Act 1996 in particular to section 121 and 134.
#23 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 12:16 am
“For seven Year olds there is much to learn from the Moral of story which will no doubt stand them in good stead to prepare them for Malaysian Society.” Jeffrey
Yes, soon we’ll have 10 year olds being shown the A,B,C of birth control!
#24 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 12:26 am
“Violence and sex are so much in the society that one cannot escape it. Our 7 year old see these everyday even in our “censored†Holly wood films shown by ASTRO – so, do they become violent or lecherous? Some violent and sexy parts are in contexts and relevant to the story line.”
Yes, but that does not make it right!
Parents in Malaysia in some cases are learning about sex with their kids! When I was doing my A levels not too long ago, the smartest girl in the class with all ‘A’s at GCE ‘O’ Level thought that she could get pregnant by just going to bed with a boy! At least that’s what the romantic love stories that she was reading told her.
Today if you’re living in countries like the United States where censorship is illegal, you get to see so much violence and sex that you get so sick and longed for the good ‘ol times when there was no TV, when the only sex you could learn is from reading the Kamasutra read under candle light of course when parents were sound asleep.
#25 by bbtan on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 12:37 am
Anak Kulim, I dont believe your child would be victimized because you dare to complain. Those people are cowards – that is why they remain dumb. They wont dare “get” your child because they dont want another letter from you.
#26 by smeagroo on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 12:41 am
You see thats the only way to corrupt other races’ kids so that they will grow being equal with them morally decayed group of scums. SO in 10 years time when they compare, they can pat their backs and say “we are not so bad afterall”.
#27 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 12:50 am
My first impression on reading this (though not my first posting; see above) was that the school authorities are ‘mentally deranged’ or have a similar mindset on racial purgation as HITLER!
The next thought was the teachers suffer from some form of sexual masochism or perversion!
This is why I always maintain that our school system, short of a sea change, is drifting and listless – ‘whirl-class’.
Wouldn’t recommend any of you to send yr kids to government schools if u can avoid it. Try home-schooling. The benefits can be enormous but get some good advice before hopping on the horse.
#28 by kafkalee on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 1:01 am
i would prefer to think that it isn’t a racial issue, rather it is just another administration “misfortune” in malaysia education system. i am not sure the Jeffery was trying to bring out in his long-winded explanation of the movie, blah blah. in my opinion, showing a disputable show in SCHOOL (remember, PRIMARY school) is NO EXCUSE. WRONG!!!.. period.
#29 by dawsheng on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 1:06 am
“The next thought was the teachers suffer from some form of sexual masochism or perversion!”
No doubt about it.
#30 by bbtan on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 1:09 am
Jeffrey @ 3:38 pm,
I notice that you post your comments to defend the authorities. Thats good because we always like to hear what the other side have got to say. I also notice that you are silent on some of the grouses posted. Is it because they are true and you have no credible argument to put forth?
#31 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 1:18 am
Just compare with our neighbour – real MALU. BN just don’t know where to hide face. Everything masuk pocket sendiri…shyok sendiri!
FROM IHT:
In Singapore, a local Switzerland for Asia’s wealthy
By Wayne Arnold Published: April 24, 2007
SINGAPORE: This affluent city-state of 4.5 million people is aiming to become a sanctuary for the world’s wealthy and their money, Asia’s answer to Geneva and Zurich.
Singapore, with its reputation for authoritarian order and safety, has long relied on luring multinational corporations for manufacturing jobs and economic growth. But with China’s rise as an industrial powerhouse, it started chasing a succession of economic fads – from technology to pharmaceuticals to stem cell research – in search of a fresh elixir.
Now Singapore, is trying to carve out a new niche for itself in the global economy by beefing up banking secrecy laws and offering generous tax incentives.
Almost 40 private banks now have regional operations here, including Swiss stalwarts like Bank Julius Baer. Citigroup’s headquarters for all private banking outside the United States is now in Singapore, as is the global banking headquarters of Standard Chartered Bank of Britain.
“I can’t think of any other place where private banking is growing so much as in Singapore,” said Henrik Mikkelsen, a private banker at Commerzbank in Singapore. “We want to be the Switzerland of Asia.”
#32 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 1:35 am
bbtan,
I don’t defend authorities for its sake. kafkalee said in his opinion, “showing a disputable show in SCHOOL (remember, PRIMARY school) is NO EXCUSE. WRONG” But he doesn’t say why its wrong. Just because its disputable? Undergrad2 also conceded that “our 7 year old see these everyday even in our “censored†Holly wood films shown by ASTRO” (in other words he conceded that exposure to these was not easy to easy to escape) but he qualified it by saying “Yes, but that does not make it right!” without saying why so! In fact he went on to say, “Parents in Malaysia in some cases are learning about sex with their kids!”, to which I must ask whether this is a desirable state of affairs, and if not, whether it is “bad” because 7 year olds should not be exposed to facts of life as commonly assumed. It is Ok to assume but has anyone so far given a credible or empirical justification to show and convince that under proper proper guidance, with parents explaining the implications of what is shown, 7 year old seeing such a film with some violence and sex in the right context would necessarily be so influenced as to be violent and sexually perverted when they grow up? kafkalee said “I am not sure the Jeffery was trying to bring out in his long-winded explanation of the movie” but I also explained the moral to be learnt from the plot. Also 7 year old today (exposed to TV & Internet & the sex/violence that comes from such exposure) are not 7 year old in Undergrad2′s time that makes shielding them from such exposure on TV a somewhat defensive exercise in futility. Surely if such influences are hard to avoid, no matter how much of shielding, we should as parents try to grapple the problem the contrary way and use what is shown on TV as an illustration of what is right from what is wrong and not be in a state of denial that our children at 7 must necessarily be so immature to learn nothing but only bthe bad things. In fact when Undergrad2 said, “Parents in Malaysia in some cases are learning about sex with their kids!”, I thought it was time I rested my case!
#33 by WFH on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 1:50 am
Ahhhhh….
This brings back memories of school, when the movies screened in the school hall were the classic John Waynes, The 3 Stooges, and of course, the timeless Tarzan movies.
If only the Kerishamuddin will recall that his old school was NOT segregated, that the students were of all races – Malay, Chinese, Indian, Serani, etc…. Even DPM will also recall the same schooling system of old, and I believe many urban educated UMNO big-wigs too.
But why do they, for the past 2-3+ decades, continue to implement a failing system of education alien to one from which they themselves benefitted from?
In the old system, there were good schools, there were exemplary and dedicated teachers, thee were many subjects with world-wide content, of other countries, their population, their economic activities, heck – even their flags and annual rainfall and primary crops. Yes, those days, education WAS EDUCATION, and exams were called Senior Cambridge, highly regarded everywhere.
Why have we come to this disgraceful situation of recent decades?
In education in Malaysia, OLD IS GOLD!
To anakkulim, I’m sad to say that by raising this matter, (especially in this blog) you better be prepared for the heartache of seeing your daughter’s schooling being kicked around by the teachers and Guru Besar of her school. And if that’s not enough heartache, the Edu Dept will make sure you and daughter will remain miserable as they seek to “educate” both you and your daughter. Do not forget to add your other school-going children also.
What choices do we all really have, stuck in the country run by incompetents?
#34 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 2:05 am
“Jeffrey @ 3:38 pm,
I notice that you post your comments to defend the authorities. Thats good because we always like to hear what the other side have got to say. I also notice that you are silent on some of the grouses posted. Is it because they are true and you have no credible argument to put forth?” bbtan
He’s not silent on any of the issues. He could be fast asleep.
#35 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 2:14 am
“This affluent city-state of 4.5 million people is aiming to become a sanctuary for the world’s wealthy and their money, Asia’s answer to Geneva and Zurich.”
I would like to see the return of Bugis Street of old. The transvestites there looked more real than the girls I was with! Singapore should not only be Asia’s answer to Geneva and Zurich, but the Playboy Center of the world.
At least when Abdullah Badawi is not fast asleep we know where to look for him. Or when Najib is not murdering models from Mongolia or wants to take a break from Rosmah we would know where to look for him.
#36 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 7:35 am
Jeffrey Says:
April 25th, 2007 at 1:35 am
“In fact he went on to say, “Parents in Malaysia in some cases are learning about sex with their kids!â€Â, to which I must ask whether this is a desirable state of affairs, and if not, whether it is “bad†because 7 year olds should not be exposed to facts of life as commonly assumed.”
Hey Jeffrey, Undergrad2 – don’t take the subject out of its context. We are speaking of a school here, primary to boot. Parents have been seeking answers to the said screening and have to put up with pale morbid silence…not such enlightened educational objectives as you seem to be conjuring from a magician’s hat. Everything points to this as an aberrant form of education to 7 yr olds or even older. C’mon, it doesn’t take much mental acuity to differentiate between muck and shit when you see it. One stinks! So much for your scatological humor. And surely, there is a difference between carelessly leaving a pornographic DVD on the TV top at home and herding a group of young defenseless, impressionable minds and stamping on them x-rated images. These children were not given the freedom of choice nor were their parents aware what the school authorities were indulging in!
Please, where are your senses of morality and normalcy? BTW, you don’t put out the seedlings under the scorching heat of the Arizona desert, Ok? I grow them under the cool shades of the greenhouse, sheltered and protected from all harmful elements and a fully controlled environment. That’s what a school is supposed to be – not a hunting ground for wolves and hounds or maniacs!
Jeffrey, in trying to provide a balanced view and helping to rock our senses to some equilibrium, don’t get carried away and be the devil’s advocate instead of ‘playing’ the devil’s advocate. The former is real, the latter always cautionary.
Undergrad2 – u again. There’s always a limit to sin, sex and the sun.
#37 by pamelaoda on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 8:22 am
wer is my earlier posting?!?!
looks like some bloggers are r ok wiz the choice of the movie. To anak Kulim, I m totally behind u and salute u 4 voicing out, if only the voters could understand that, then the oppostion wont be struggling so much!
Anak Kulim, u must be confident when dealing wiz any government staff and even if you don, seek for answers, u deserve it! Don get intimidated otherwise they will bully u. Why? coz i realised staffs in JPN, Licence or immigration whilst Q-ing, they r rude and impatience to the old especially non malays (cos they cant speak malay well), they bullied the ignorant and behave better wiz the well dressed or in office attire!
Back to the complaint, no matter what I m totally disagree with the choice of movie they have used. There r so many good movies suitable for kids, why must they put one with sex and violence in it. If this is an education programme, is any qualified teacher or person around to educate the kids? Anyhow, do you think it still too young despite witht he help of ASTRO. I have a 7 yrs old daughter which everynow and then I try to educate her with some “sex element do n dont” jus to test the water, but I don think she understand much. As for violence, yeah in japan no censorship at all, she became scared when she saw one *me too! OVer here, the non U prog are allowed for viewing from 9pm whereby kids should already in bed! ASTRO’s movies are considered very very very mild.
Good luck and lucky u have DAP wiz u!
#38 by grace on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 9:24 am
bbtan said this,”Anak Kulim, I dont believe your child would be victimized because you dare to complain. Those people are cowards – that is why they remain dumb. They wont dare “get†your child because they dont want another letter from you”.
They would not victimise the child directly. Mark my words.
What those donkeys ill do is to ignore the child completely in the class. This is enough of mental torture for a young child and thereby he would lose interest in school!
The teachers and education officers are not so magnanmous so as to say ‘thank you’ for your complain which was well intent.
#39 by HJ Angus on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 10:17 am
For 7 year olds exposing them to a movie with graphic sex and violent scenes is not proper for schools though I expect in many homes some parents don’t really bother about what their children view.
Just observe at the illegal video stalls and you find that many parents allow their children to select movies and some of these are really trash.
Meanwhile our moral guardians at the Censorship Board see fit to even sensor biological terms in innocent programs like “World Cafe-Asia”.
The presenter was in Penang and wanted to try food at a stall dealing with intestines and other organs. He tried the testicles and the word was deleted from the broadcast.
#40 by HJ Angus on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 10:25 am
This happened to my son who studied in one supposedly premier school in Singapore.
There was a donation drive and students were asked to pay $10 for some item like a book-mark or other mundane item.
He refused to pay and was the only one not to buy in the class. So the teacher confronted him and he still refused. He was asked to see the senior teacher and there was an indirect threat like “You may not get a good report for non-cooperation etc.”
I told him the amount was not really important and he said it was not the money but the principle of his choice. I told him I admired his guts but he could make his own decision.
Finally he did not pay and a few classmates told him they admired his standing-up for his principles.
#41 by grace on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 1:55 pm
HJ Angus,
Your son’s action is really commendable. In Singapore where meritocracy is the order of the day,and if your son is being victimised by teachers for this, a letter to the Ministry od Education would have sent shiver down the spine of the teachers or pricipal concerned.
Nut here in boleh land, it is a different ball game. The teachers and officers in PPD are mostly not really educators in true sense of the word. They actually do not know what it takes to produce good students.
Believe me. I haveseen it all. Go and check their academic performance from SPM onwards- you will know what I mean.
If those guys up there are real educationists, we would not be far off in standard from Singapore. Maybe we could be better off than them. And many parents would have been spared the trouble of sending their children to Singapore.
But you have made the right choice of sending your child to Singapore.
#42 by kafkalee on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 5:48 pm
Jeffrey, I believe there are many many more movie choices out there compared to this disputable one. Come on, what is the rational of putting up a fighting/sexy/violence show in front of 7 year old kids? personally, i could not convince myself for even one ‘reasonable’ reason…
p/s: if i were the pupil, i just couldn’t imagine why my beloved teacher gathers us in a room and shows me his/her personal collection (pirated one smore, may be.. :p ) … i am puzzled ..
#43 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 5:57 pm
“Undergrad2 – u again. There’s always a limit to sin, sex and the sun.”
HORNBILL
Sorry guys! Winter is just over. Spring never came – instead we’re having summer with temperatures rising from the low 40s to the low 80s in a matter of three days! I guess I had too much sun and were ‘imagining’ things – and in this case about Malaysian parents in some cases learning sex along with their kids through what they see in videos. That characterization is not meant to be an accurate description of what is happening in Malaysia. My apologies to parents who may have read it for its lack of sensitivity.
And like you said earlier: “There’s always a limit to sin, sex and the sun.” I guess I had too much sun.
But I did say this earlier:
“Jokes aside, without doubt the headmaster should be expelled. In the United States the teacher who gave the permission will have his or her license to teach suspended.”
HORNBIL: Jefferey QC is only trying to sharpen his advocacy tools. I think he makes a great advocate.
#44 by Careena6 on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 6:04 pm
Being and Indian I’m flabergasted when i read the letter… minor issues being blown out of proportion.. And yess I agree with Jeff..
This is what I think and feel,
1. I’ve watched that movie ,it has no sex scene at all… I repeat not at all , I’m shocked that the parent can actually bother to write about something that he hasn’t viewed yet.
2. It has some element of violence which is why it is rated 18SG
therefore allowing small kids to watch em’ is wrong.
3. Dont blame Vijay and Kollywood for these kind of movies, you dont want your child to watch fine, but stop blaming the entertainment industry, take the good and leave the bad , teach that to your children.
4. Even Tom and Jerry and cartoons nowadays are violent… what can you do about that?? You can’t ran away from romance either, from Alladin to Lady and the Tramp there is romance.
It is how you see it, if you regard everything with a filthy mind, then every single detail in our every day lives is going to be in that way.
The question is where to draw the line?Teach your kids that what you see in regards of that idiot box is pure entertainment, it is the reel world not the real world, again take the good and leave the bad , thats all.
5. I had a friend whose father did the same thing to her dont watch that la this la, Whilst ,the rest of us did well in school and are doing great in UNi she’s loitering around and doing nothing wasting her parents money. Moral of the story, its not what you watch its how you regard them, do not restrict children so much, they are bound to retaliate, my friends father said no to much that now she’s out of their control.
6. The parent has the right to ask and demand why was the movie screened during school hours and why was the other children separated but has no right to condemn the movie or the entertainment industry.
7. He ought to watch all those cartoons on Astro, then he might have second thoughts about his accusations.
8. Stop blaming the movie , start asking them the reason behind screening movies during class hours instead of talking about something that you have no idea about.
9. I’m thinking ,then how about news being aired on tv?? Half the time we have violence and sex, forget about Tv, people getting hurt during elections and all, are we going to ban politics to??
The answer is your own mentality, know what is good and what is bad, I repeat (i’ve mentioned this phrase about 3 times)take the good and leave the bad,teach children to draw the line, and in many ways religion comes in handy.
#45 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 6:06 pm
“Ahhhhh….
This brings back memories of school, when the movies screened in the school hall were the classic John Waynes, The 3 Stooges, and of course, the timeless Tarzan movies.
If only the Kerishamuddin will recall that his old school was NOT segregated, that the students were of all races…” WFH
Oh, they screened such movies in your school halls? In that case I went to the wrong school. Mine was fond of screening classic movies about nothing. In one such instance that I remember and which survived the ravages of memory over the years was a film about a lot of people drinking beer and singing, “Drink, drink, drink….”
I would like to think that my addiction to drinking has something to do with this movie.
#46 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 6:29 pm
“wer is my earlier posting?!?! Pamelaoda
Pamelaoda, where are you posting from? I seem to have the same problem. Don’t think it has anything to do with moderation and the moderator.
#47 by pamelaoda on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 8:34 pm
to undergrad2,
I have settled my problem. The posting was through but it took awhile to appear on the screen hence i thought it went missing! He! He! Gomenasai ne
#48 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 25 April 2007 - 9:30 pm
anatawa nihonjin desu ka?
namaewa nan desu ka?
I think I’m having a connectivity problem and it is very annoying!
#49 by pamelaoda on Thursday, 26 April 2007 - 8:26 am
undergrad2
anatawa nihonjin desu ka? Mada desu, akan datang should malaysia’s politic continue to suck!
namaewa nan desu ka? Oda desu
I think I’m having a connectivity problem and it is very annoying! -
m enjoying every moment from Japan ne…BTW, where are u posting from? If malaysia, check with measat la…..?!?!
#50 by kulimkaredi on Thursday, 26 April 2007 - 9:25 am
i came to know abt this issue from a mail my sister sent me, my nephew is in that school and i do recall him telling me abt watching the movie.and i thought that he was telling me abt the time he watched the movie aft he came back from sch..cos showing a tamil movie at school period in a national school was not heard of before.been reading all the postings and i just had to post a comment. 1st of all….i agree with a teacher being lazy and wanting to show a movie to chat on the phone, but a tamil movie?and why were the Muslims students not there? if at all they had some extra event that only they have to attend, why not after school hours? isnt that school supposed to be a national school…but wait a minute, its in malaysia, and we all know what ‘national’ means right???please dont get me wrong, im not agaisnt tamil movies. im a tamilan and a proud one too, but i wouldn’t say that that movie is a great way to learn morals. it has been the blueprint of a tmil movie to have morals, but most times these are so overlayered by the other elements of the movie that the moral is hard to be found. yes truth prevails in the end, yes the hero is saviour of women, but for the little ones to think that if u cant fight the bad guys in a good way, beat them in their way? come on jeffrey, tell me ur take on this.ur being bullied in school and u beating the crap out of the bully is the way to handle the problem??its not…cos ive been thru that way and i know..and u pointed out that the parents shud be there to tell them the morals and not take it in it is…it was school period..and the parents were at work..so how do u accomplish that?and i doubt the teacher was there to do anything..and one more thing that was missed out was that, they also showed the Bean movie and another movie along with this one..and those other two doesn’t contain violence or anything of that sort. 2nd, the whole issue has been diverted to something else by Jeffrey and Careena,(obviously Vijay fans)..the father wants to know why the movie was shown in school at school period..and why only the non muslims? and what a selection??im sure the father has no beef with Vijay or the Kollywood, if thats what they call it..I dont think he would have been angry if they had showed a movie from older days, when the morals were strong and heroes were heroes with hardships..never waivering to the dark side. the whole concept of the movie is sending the wrong signal…its ok for u to do bad as long as u do it to bad people. come on guys…and you saying that the kids will be able to read between the lines…most grown ups cant even see the presence of the lines.
its unfortunate to say but it is true that the PPD or the whole of the malaysian education ministry is run by incompetents. and that wont be the only ministry. too much is given to the privilege is given without considering if its deserved. too many officers in high posts not knowing anything abt their responsibility. and no matter how well the people at the bottom work, its still worthless. i started my education in a tamil primary school and i witnessed the unfairness in education so clearly. and it was upsetting to know tht while i was growing up in a world where discriminations were looked down upon and everybody was being respected as fellow human beings, my beloved nation was in a backward spiral. i was feeling guilty when i came to singapore to futher my studies, cos i felt like i was betraying the country, but whats the point?