Sarawak MP Willie Mongin has raised concerns about children learning to draw lines based on race and religion, highlighting how some are already treating their classmates differently because of their beliefs and practices.
Speaking during a Dewan Rakyat session, the GPS-Puncak Borneo lawmaker claimed that a teacher had approached him to express how “it’s becoming difficult to educate children”, as some students were refusing to sit next to their Christian classmates because they eat pork and wear a cross.
Malaysian students reportedly refuse to sit next to Christian classmates
Willie stressed that the issue needs to be addressed early before it spreads and becomes a “serious problem”.
He also questioned what steps the Ministry is taking to help young people better understand and respect different religions and races.
“What steps is the Ministry taking to strengthen digital literacy and critical thinking, while fostering tolerance and mutual understanding between different religions and races, especially among young people and children? This is to prevent fake news, stereotypes and provocative content from spreading and triggering social tensions or 3R-related conflicts.”
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Unity Minister says initiatives in place to promote unity
In response, Unity Minister Aaron Ago Dagang explained that the Ministry takes a whole-of-government approach to tackling these sensitive issues, with various programmes and initiatives in place to promote unity and understanding among different communities.
“For us at the Ministry, as I mentioned earlier, we adopt a whole-of-government approach in addressing these sensitive issues. Of course, we need to start at the school level, where our children can interact with one another regardless of race, religion or culture.
“The Ministry also has various programmes and initiatives. In particular, the Ministry of Communications has a Safe Internet Campaign to encourage ethical internet use and responsible social media practices,” he said
The Kanowit MP further explained that all the programmes aim to encourage children and young people to interact appropriately with one another and foster a spirit of cooperation within the community.
“The Ministry of Communications also has 1,099 NADI centres nationwide to promote digital literacy and online safety. Meanwhile, our Ministry runs various unity programmes, including the Jejak Harmony programme, Rukun Negara Youth Tour and Harmony Dialogue, to encourage interaction and cooperation among young people.
“All these programmes aim to encourage children and young people to interact appropriately with one another and foster a spirit of cooperation within the community,” he added.
You can watch the full discussion from the 2:00:45 mark onwards:
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