MP: SPM model paper has racial conflict posers

 

A DAP lawmaker today expressed concern over a "model paper" published in a SPM reference book with essay topics on racial conflicts between Chinese and Malays, and even portraying the Chinese community in a bad light.

In the book published by Info Didik this year, a Bahasa Malaysia essay topic asks students to write about "Chinese willing to even kill Malays" and vice-versa, among a host of other racial innuendos.

Sibu MP Oscar Ling said he was unsure if this was an actual past year question that was being published in the book or if merely a model paper.

He demanded that the Education Ministry investigates the matter.

The book, titled 'Kertas Model Sebenar SPM Bahasa Malaysia', is authored by Khairudiin Ayip and Yusanizan Shafie.

However, Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin told the Dewan Rakyat the ministry is powerless to rectify the problem if the publication is private and did not come from the ministry.

“We hope this did not come from the ministry. If it is from a private publisher, it is beyond the scope of the ministry,” Muhyiddin said.

Ling described Muhyiddin’s statement as irresponsible.

“Any SPM reference book, even if it is a private publisher, must be supervised by the Education Department,” he said.

In the topic for the modern essay, the author states that vernacular schools breed a racial divide from a young age, and asks students to write about communities that are “enemies”.