Take stern action over offensive teaching module, Kamalanathan urges UTM

PETALING JAYA: Datuk P. Kamalanathan (pic) has called on the authorities of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to investigate and take stern action against individuals responsible for the teaching module which was derogatory to the Hindu and Sikh communities.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the Deputy Education Minister wrote that he was really disappointed by the incident.

"Not as a politician or a deputy minister but as a Malaysian I was really disappointed about the UTM Islamic and Asian Civilisation Studies (Titas) misrepresentation of certain religions.

"I can't help but feel only someone who willfully and purposefully filled with ill intent would produce such a document," he wrote.

The Hulu Selangor MP also called for the Higher Education ministry to ensure that the Titas syllabus of all public universities be first verified by experts in the religion before being included in the syllabus.

"This will ensure such painful experiences are not repeated," he said.

Kamalanathan however added that the incident did not represent the views of the ministry or the leadership of the university.

"Being a former deputy minister in the Higher Education Ministry I am aware this incident is not at all representative of the values imbibed and demonstrated by the Ministry nor the Universities topmost leadership," he said.

On Monday, Kamalanthan had posted a screen grab of the teaching module which had made claims that Hindus preferred to be 'dirty' and that Islam had taught Hindu followers "manners in life".

It stated that "some Hindu followers believed that dirt on the body is a form of ritual which could lead to attainment of Nirvana".

Another slide claimed that Sikhism is a combination of Hindu and Islam, but the founder of the religion had a shallow understanding of Islam.

Kamalanathan said that he had spoken of the matter to the vice-chancellor of the university who acknowledged the mistake.