KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 — The government has been urged to consider introducing a unity-based subject in schools to instil togetherness among students.
National Unity Advisory Council member Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said such efforts are necessary to ensure the younger generation of Malaysians were exposed to values of unity early on while they were schooling.
“If unity can be a subject in schools, then I think we will doing the right thing to help promote unity in the country. I think that the extent of Malaysia’s development, how far it can progress, all depends on the unity of its people.
“Even if we talk about the economy, digitalisation, science and other things, what determines everything in our multiracial and multireligious country all hinges on unity,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.
Lee added that specific attention and approaches need to be given to introduce the unity-based subject to realise its objective.
“To me, there is no better place than schools to educate, encourage and allow students, regardless of their race, to appreciate each other and to practice unity. All this must begin at school,” he said.
Schools could play a vital role in promoting unity through the organising of multiracial activities between schools.
“For example, the national schools can invite the Chinese and Tamil schools over for their students to participate in the school activities. And if Chinese schools organise sports, they can also invite schools from national school or Tamil school to participate.
“This allow them to have interactions among the schools,” he said.
Lee noted that issues relating to vernacular schools played up by unscrupulous parties should not be brought up as the matter was enshrined in the education system and the Federal Constitution.
“The constitution provides that this country, Malaysia, is unique because we have SK, SJK(C) and SJK(T). But having different schools does not mean that we cannot be united and have any interactions among schools,” he said.
On Wednesday (April 24), Deputy National Unity Minister K. Saraswathy said organising Unity Day at the Wesley Methodist International School was the best platform to boost unity among students.
Similarly, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai expressed hope that such programmes could be forwarded to the Education Ministry and the National Unity Ministry for implementation in all schools throughout Malaysia next year.
— Bernama
