Joint Statement by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

8 January 2020

PUTRA denounced for pressuring to remove CNY decorations

Government needs to curb attempts to stir up racial sentiments

Dong Jiao Zong strongly denounces Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (PUTRA) for pressuring Sekolah Menengah Kerajaan (SMK) Pusat Bandar Puchong 1 to remove its Chinese New Year decorations.

PUTRA has earlier on brought a lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of Chinese and Tamil primary schools and now, its deputy president Mohd Khairul, based on his twisted interpretation of the Federal Constitution, has alleged that the Chinese New Year festive decorations at SMK Bandar Puchong No. 1 were “propagating a non-Islam religion to the Muslims”. Apparently, he was trying to link traditional cultural celebrations to religious preaching. Such an unfounded accusation has once again stirred up interracial suspicion and misunderstanding. It is an attempt to incite racial sentiments and may pose a danger in dividing the society. Dong Jiao Zong strongly denounces such an attempt. The school principal gave in to the pressure from a political party and before lodging any report with the police and the State Education Department, she instructed to take down the Chinese New Year decorations. This is not the appropriate approach in handling the issue.  

Malaysia is a nation with many ethnic groups, cultures and religions. The Ministry of Education has always been actively promoting the culture of mutual respect at schools of various streams. For example, in Chinese primary schools, decorations of various festivals such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Deepavali are put up to promote the pupils’ understanding of the festivals celebrated by different ethnic groups and this has been carried out for many years. Besides, the government institutions have always put up relevant decorations during the festive seasons of various races and organized the festive celebration ceremonies. These are the best reflections of the pluralistic characteristics and interracial harmony of our nation.

Faced with such increasingly prevalent rhetoric of racial and religious extremism, Dong Jiao Zong firmly believes that the government must take a serious view of the matter. The government must make the utmost effort to curb any action aimed at stirring up racial conflicts. It has to safeguard national peace as well as racial harmony and avoid fueling the arrogance of the racists.