3 related articles about politics and history teaching in the school system.
What good will our children produce if they score well under such silly-burst (sorry I don't know how to spell syllabus correctly - I guess)? At the end of the day, all one is asking for is due recognition for everyone who had done their bit for this land that we all call home.
A hilly island
~ Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz
Many historical links between our northern states and Siam are glossed over in the current history books, with only fleeting references to the bunga mas sent by Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu to the King of Siam that has been variously described as “tribute from a vassal to an overlord” to “a fee for outsourced military protection”.
So you see, politics does not only invent or distort history; it often leaves massive chunks out of it altogether.
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=60325
Our duty to voice valid concerns
I for one may be unhappy about certain things in this country but will defend it aggressively abroad when foreigners and even fellow Malaysians disparage our homeland...Just because one has issues with the ruling party does not mean that they should dislike the country...When politics and social engineering creep into the school system, we all have a responsibility to voice our concerns and opinions. At the end of the day, what these attempts are aimed at is to further drive a wedge between the main communities which have been living comfortably side by side for over a century.
When top leaders headed by the prime minister himself have worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between the various ethnic communities, why are there those trying so hard to throw a spanner in the works? These are the real anti-national elements.
These are the subversive components we have in our midst that are trying to divide and conquer. Afraid of their own shadow and a fallacy that there are those out there waiting to rob them of what is rightfully theirs. If there are such elements, irrespective of ethnicity and background, then their efforts must be thwarted immediately. At the same time we have to ensure that our children are not being made pawns of in the political games of some people as it will have far reaching consequences – long after we are gone. Our spirits then will never rest in peace when future generations curse us for the legacy of doom that we had left them.
http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/guest-columnists/39746-our-duty-to-voice-valid-concerns
Tell the whole story, please
~ Terence says “Tell the truth and shame the devil”.
All of them were concerned that the teaching of history was skewed towards the political expedience and superiority of a section of the community at the expense of the others. That the contributions and sacrifices of the minority communities were downplayed, glossed over or omitted left everyone feeling bitter.
I was asked to respond to Ranjit’s presentation. My take was simple: In other countries, they covered up negative aspects of their history such as Japan’s scant mention of World War II atrocities.
However in Malaysia, the positive aspects of our past are also blanketed in favour of a political agenda that in the long run is counter-productive to nation building.
These include the fact that the founder of Malacca Parameswara had died a Hindu, and that the sacrifices of the Indian, Gurkha, British and Australian troops in World War II were minimal.
He had also revealed that over the last decade that the third Kapitan Cina Yap Ah Loy had been gradually reduced from “Mr Kuala Lumpur” to “among those responsible for Kuala Lumpur’s development”.
http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/guest-columnists/39634-tell-the-whole-story-please
Updated on 12 May, 2011:
Historians and integrity
by Assoc Prof Dr Sivachandralingam Sundara Raja
Department of History
University of Malaya
Historians must adhere to their own rules of fairness, reason and logic while constructing stories about the human past. In addition, they must support their claims with actual evidence as the basis for plausible and valid inferences. When all this is complied, it will fulfil the requirements of objectivity.
Any attempt to cultivate patriotism through historical events means we are not teaching history but merely being propagandist. If patriotism is the ultimate aim, it will lead to value judgments in the narratives and affect evaluation of the facts. If special facts are chosen to instil patriotism, the chances of skewing the story in one way or another are enhanced even more.
If the learned professors in the committee were to subscribe to the term of reference outlined by the ministry, the history syllabus shaped would be like what Voltaire, the French philosopher and historian, has to say about history. To him, "history is a pack of tricks we play on the dead".
http://sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=60687
