Kula tells Kamala to opt for plain talk

DAP national vice-chairperson M Kulasegaran described the statement by Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan that the ritual slaughter of cows in schools is not permitted and that its sporadic practice was an oversight as "another instance of wavering by authorities belatedly trying to retrieve what is proper from what is plain folly."

In response to growing criticism over scattered incidents of cows undergoing ritual slaughter on school premises in commemoration of the Muslim feast of Eid-al-Adha, Kamalanathan said the practice was not permitted in schools but that no circular to that effect had been sent to the district education offices.

Presumably, schools that held the ritual slaughter were not aware that the practice was not permitted on the school grounds but could be staged at the nearest surau.   

Kulasegaran (left), the DAP MP for Ipoh Barat who had led the chorus of criticism against incidents of ritual slaughter, said he was relieved to know that the practice was not permitted by the Education Department but that knowledge of its impermissibility was not widely disseminated.

"Properly speaking, if the practice is not permitted, that should have been plainly made known to school principals," said the federal legislator.

"Perhaps, the authorities were reluctant to publicly make impermissible something that affects an Islamic practice but by not plainly proscribing it on school premises, no admonition can now be served on those principals who assumed that ritual slaughter is permitted," said Kulasegaran.

He said this reticent attitude on matters affecting Islamic practice would only lead to confusion.

"Reticence means no correction can be served on those who allow what is not permitted and have to infer rather than be informed of their mistake," he observed.

"This is a strange way to educate," observed the MP.