Anti palm oil campaign has zilch to do with freedom of speech

Extracts from MM Online' letter:

Children dressed as trees ignite a response that marks the end of freedom of speech — Tarak Singh

palm oil plantation workers

contributing to 6% GDP of the nation' economy of at least some RM100 billion or so

JULY 3 — I am a patriotic and proud Malaysian, but I also feel the responsibility to call out my country and my government when I feel it is necessary. The concept of freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy, and in Malaysia, free speech has turned into an absolute joke.

Seeing the headline Ministry probes international school over kids’ anti-palm oil performance, I thought this has to be some kind of prank, but then I read on and realised it is actually a reflection of the sad reality of the censorship in our country.

It all started with some children, aged seven or so, dressed in environmentally-themed costumes, giving a presentation during a school event. They gave palm oil a mention stating, “If we don’t do something about this now, and ensure all palm oil is sustainably grown, within 10 years, these beautiful creatures(orangutans) could be gone from our world forever.”

do you believe kids of these tender years would speak of deforestation and sustainably grown palm oil plantations?

only the Shahanshah of Punjabi-Nirvana does

Fair enough, right? An international school putting an emphasis on the environment and calling out our society to take action against an industry that some say contributes to deforestation.

Well, that is not the reaction this innocent presentation evoked. The next thing we know we have authorities losing their minds. We have the Education Ministry launching an investigation on the school for “spreading propaganda”, giving out a statement “The Ministry will not compromise with any propaganda and indoctrination in private institutions that tarnish the image and name of the country”.

We gave the Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok describing the performance as “sowing hatred against palm oil plantations.” We even have the Secretary General at the Education Ministry hopping on the bandwagon, “The involvement of students in propaganda activities are in direct conflict with national policy and can affect the good name of the country.”

Who could have thought a bunch of seven- and eight-year olds dressed in costumes could illicit such a response? Moreover, isn’t shutting mouths of young children, affecting the good name of our country far more than the actual performance?

Firstly let me comment on do-gooder Mr Tarak Singh's comment that Who could have thought a bunch of seven- and eight-year olds dressed in costumes could illicit such a response? Moreover, isn’t shutting mouths of young children, affecting the good name of our country far more than the actual performance?

As I narrated in my earlier post International school anti palm oil show - hiding behind kids' diapers for free speech, When the students involved in the anti palm oil show were Year 3 children aged 7 to 8, what does that tell you?

Who scripted and choreographed the show?

The kids?

Our dear Brother Tarak Singh fell for the those who hiding behind the diapers of 7 to 8 year old Year 3 students in the International school's anti palm oil campaign, a campaign that grew out of European's kiasu war and protection for their canola (rape) and sunflower oil industries and US soya and maize oil industries.

While I am not suggesting for one moment that the International school lobbies for those Western oil industries, I would say they believe in that campaign, ignoring the historical reality of the West destroying and desecrating their woods and wildlife first before we 3rd World-ers see revenue in our rain forests.

Yes, Westerners love to talk down on non-Westerners and rave about the welfare of the orangutans and the survival of the rain forests which do NOT belong to them. And you never hear them speak of the palm oil workers, but only of orangutans and apes, which they just go ape shit over!

Chinese love to sneer at those ape-loving Westerners because, like it or not, racial or not, those Chinese do have a point in saying that, evolutionary-wise or proclivity-wise, the Western man is indeed related to apes (and orangutans), wakakaka (which by the way, we Asians are too but at least we don't become emotional about apes at the expense of men).

Malaysian rain forests belong to Malaysians and bring in revenue for the nation's economy. If the West is so concerned about we 3rd World Malaysians slashing down the precious rain forests, please pay us the equivalent revenue (for our timber product) to persuade we 3rd World Malaysians to stop doing so, and I assure you, we'll be too glad to comply.

But the West stops its hypocrisy when it comes to putting their money where their loud mouths are.

Back to Bro Tarak Singh - Minister Teresa Kok has been absolutely spot on when she complained of the International school putting on a show to “sow hatred against palm oil plantations”. How would that affect young of 7 to 8 year old Malaysians?

If the principal and/or teachers of the International school wish to enjoy their freedom of speech to speak out against palm oil plantations, please do so by themselves and not hide behind the diapers of their young wards.

Remember, young students of the tender years of 7 to 8 year old are not yet of a maturity to speak out for themselves, thus the principal and teachers of that school should be ashamed of and for dragging young innocents into a game of Western prejudice which would mold their young immature and yet-undeveloped minds into being anti-Malaysia economy and indirectly, anti-Malaysia.

Mind, Brother Tarak Singh should be excused and forgiven for speaking out, remembering our love for 'freedom of speech' - at least he is not protecting his 6 o'clock (self-interests) like someone else, wakakaka.