MCLM objects to the Ministry of Education’s support and endorsement
of guidelines purportedly designed to enable schools and parents to
identify behaviour allegedly associated with the ‘LGBT’ community.
We’d like to tell education minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, that we are
appalled by this decision because the MOE has arbitrarily taken upon
itself a task and/or responsibility that is not mandated by law.
Your ministry’s primary and only purpose is to provide academic
opportunities and infrastructure at all levels of the social strata for
every Malaysian citizen.
The MOE’s vision and mission states:
Vision: Excellent schools producing distinguished generations
Mission: Developing the potential of individuals through quality education
Objectives: To produce loyal and united Malaysians; to produce individuals who are devout, honourable, knowledgeable, competent and contented; to provide manpower for the development needs of the nation and; to provide educational opportunities to all Malaysians.
Mission: Developing the potential of individuals through quality education
Objectives: To produce loyal and united Malaysians; to produce individuals who are devout, honourable, knowledgeable, competent and contented; to provide manpower for the development needs of the nation and; to provide educational opportunities to all Malaysians.
We do not see a pre-qualification on acceptable behaviour of students
inserted in this statement. In fact, we would go so far as to say that
it is exemplary because it does not contain any specific reference to
gender, race or religion but rather, focuses on creating a united
Malaysia.
Actions like this endorsement of the LGBT guidelines go against the
admirable spirit of your Ministry’s vison and mission statement because
it engenders discrimination within our schools.
Your deputy, Mohd Puad Zarkashi, did not make it clear what steps the
MOE took to verify the accuracy of these guidelines as well as the
credentials of those who formulated them.
However, even a layman can see that every single point is spurious
and without merit. They merely serve to legitimise prejudice and bigotry
in our society.
The mental and emotional damage it will certainly cause to our
children is incalculable. A person’s time in school is already fraught
with identity crises and peer pressure.
Being labelled as LGBT will compound this situation as it will exacerbate sexual confusion, self-doubt and fear.
By endorsing these guidelines, the Ministry is presenting bigots in
schools with more ammunition to disenfranchise and terrorise those
students who do not conform.
Muhyiddin, we urge you to rescind your Ministry’s endorsement of
these guidelines for the sake of our youth who are the future of our
nation.
MCLM believes that the right to choose one’s own journey to
fulfillment in life is a personal choice, just as one is legally allowed
to vote a representative into parliament without interference by the
state.
Malaysia will only excel to higher aspirations and achievements if
its citizens truly believe in their hearts that they belong, without
fear or favour. For that to happen, everyone matters.
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