The renowned lawyer and activist told a forum last night that to achieve this end, Putrajaya has been drilling falsehoods into the minds of school kids through history textbooks.
“They (government) are trying to discount our true cultural and historical background because by doing that, they are trying to make parts of our rewritten history relevant for their own good,” she said when met after a forum titled “Stemming The Tide of Racism in Our Nations” here yesterday.
In her speech at the forum, Ambiga accused Putrajaya of indulging in an effort to maintain power, and justifying its Malay-supremacy policies.
She described the education system as one where “the Malays are told and are made to understand that they are better and that others are ‘pendatangs’ (a derogatory Malay word for immigrant)”.
“Then we have national service thereafter. So much damage has already been done and I don’t think it can be fixed,” she added.
“They (Putrajaya) may set up the National Union of Consultative Council (NUCC) and all, but there is a concerted effort to keep the races apart and this is what we are up against — the system.”
Ambiga also urged parents to be more vigilant of what their children are learning in schools and suggested that the education system undergo a review to identify racial elements, and to study if it does lead to racism and bigotry among children.
“We should have it even if the government doesn’t want it,” she told the forum organised by Komas and pro-unity movement, Negara-Ku.
“Rewriting our history books must stop, as you are narrowing their (children) minds..they will never be able to compete abroad as they don’t have the required broad-mindedness, and you are doing them a terrible service,” she added.
Ambiga also alleged that the so-called racism in government policies has created rifts between the country’s different racial communities and an atmosphere or “first class” and “second class” citizens.
“Is that what our constitution (Federal Constitution) intended? The constitution does not have two classes of citizenship, and there is nothing there that divides us as citizens.
“And we have to bear in mind that we cannot be pushed to feel lesser than other Malaysians,” she said, urging Malaysians to speak up on the matter.
Apart from Ambiga, other panellists in the forum last night include Muslim Youths Movement of Malaysia (Abim) secretary-general, Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz, and a senior Indonesian academic, Ahmad Zainul Hamidi.
Two days ago, the patron of Negara-Ku accused the National Civics Bureau (BTN) of brainwashing children and turning them into racists and bigots.
She said there have been complaints that the government agency, which is tasked to instil patriotism in students through training courses, has been telling Malay children that non-Malays are “pendatang”.
“I really wish parents would speak up. I’d be really annoyed if people were brainwashing my child and turning him into a racist and bigot. I’d put my foot down.
“But the problem is, many parents don’t know this is happening,” the former Malaysian Bar president said
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