For all that it’s worth, we think that the dust has finally settled over the recent scandal that SMK Pusat Bandar Puchong 1 has been somehow dragged into over the past few days by a certain lawyer. What would have been a pretty display of Chinese New Year decorations had to be taken down, requiring the involvement of Cabinet ministers, before being put back in place again. But as far as accusations of ‘religious displays’ goes, Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching has a point to prove.
Source: Teo Nie Ching Facebook
Recently uploaded to her official Facebook page, the Deputy Minister explained how SMK Pusat Bandar Puchong 1 has made it an annual tradition to celebrate not just Chinese New Year, but every other major festival in Malaysia with lavish displays of decorations. This includes Hari Raya Aidilfitri and even Deepavali.
Source: Teo Nie Ching Facebook
Source: Teo Nie Ching Facebook
In her post, she says that schools are places of education, and goes on to explain that:
“Schools are places where we teach our children not only academics, but also about the many differences that exist in our country.”
She also mentions that it is also a place where tolerance and respect between cultures, races and religions are instilled, before going on to praise the efforts of the teachers of the school for putting in so much time and work into every festive display.
Source: Teo Nie Ching Facebook
Source: Teo Nie Ching Facebook
The Deputy Minister ends her post by saying that in 2020, our focus should be on fighting racism for the sake of our children’s futures, and schools are the best place to begin tackling this problem.
We believe that what the Deputy Minister said is absolutely true, and we would like to applaud the staff and faculty of SMK Pusat Bandar Puchong 1 for their efforts in both weathering the media storm and promoting cultural harmony in their school!
Also read: Lawyer Claims CNY Decor In Puchong School Was A ‘Religious Display’, Forces Them To Remove It
