I should not be surprised but I still feel sad that pettiness in mind and spirit still rule the roost in important establishments in the Malaysian government, resulting in the Education Ministry countermanding an earlier approval by SJK© Chung Kwo near Jalan Loke Yew in Kuala Lumpur for the use of the school hall for a memorial service for eight-term Member of Parliament and former Chairman of Democratic Action Party Sdr. Karpal Singh tomorrow night.

The reason for the Education Department countermanding the earlier approval by SJK© Chung Kwo for the use of the RM10 million school hall, built by donations by the parents of the students and the public without a single sen of contribution by the government, was that the memorial service for Karpal is a political event.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The nation-wide memorial service for Karpal is neither a DAP nor political event, but a national occasion to honour a great Malaysian patriot who had dedicated his life to the betterment of his countrymen and women, regardless of race, religion, region, gender or age, as testified by the tens of thousands of Malaysians from all races, religions, regions and classes who paid their last respects to Karpal in Penang during his four-day wake and the funeral on Sunday and the millions who grieved at his passing as a personal loss although the overwhelming majority have not known or met him.

The Education Department’s action is all the more deplorable as the Education Minister who is the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had “on behalf of the Government and UMNO” not only personally conveyed his condolences to Karpal’s family, but acknowledged Karpal’s parliamentary contributions in having “lived up to his role as a member of parliament” and who would always be remembered as “his views are respected and feared by many”.

Was Muhyiddin speaking truthfully and sincerely or was he setting the worse moral example possible of hypocrisy and dishonesty to a whole generation of young Malaysians under his charge as Education Minister?

Let me assure Muhyiddin that the memorial service starting in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow night and to be held in other states in Malaysia is not a DAP or political event, but a national occasion to honour a great Malaysian patriot who have dedicated his life to the causes of justice, the rule of law, democracy and nation-building.

As proof that the Karpal memorial service in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow night is netiehgr a DAP nor political event, let me issue a standing invitation to Muyhiddin as Deputy Prime Minister and Datuk Seri Najib Razak as Prime Minister to be guests-of-honour to speak at tomorrow’s memorial service at the Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur starting at 8 pm.

Both Muhyiddin and Najib can be assured that they would be fully welcomed to the Karpal memorial service tomorrow night, not only be the organisers but also by all the Malaysians at the event.

I hope that Muhyiddin or Najib, or both, will give Malaysians a surprise tomorrow night to demonstrate that the pettiness in mind and spirit which resulted in the Education Department’s countermanding the approval given by SJK© Chung Kwo for the use of the school hall for the Karpal memorial service have not infected the mind, spirit and soul of the top echeleons of the government leadership and that there is still hope in big-spiritedness and big-heartedness of top government leaders to create an united, harmonious and successful multi-racial and multi-religious nation.