Khat should be an elective subject, not compulsory, says Rafidah Aziz
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Former International trade & industry minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz speaking to the media after her keynote address |
PUTRAJAYA (Bernama): Khat calligraphy should be an elective subject and not part of the curriculum in schools, says former minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz.
"The question is, do you want to make it (khat) a subject or elective?
"If elective it is fine; people are into this as a fine art. Do not make it as though we are making you learn khat; it is the most silly thing to do.
"There are other things that need to be learnt," the former international trade and industry minister said.
She was speaking to reporters after her keynote address at the Perdana Discourse Series 21 titled "Factors Impeding Malaysia's Economic Progress and How to Overcome Them”, at Yayasan Kepimpinan Perdana here Wednesday (Aug 7).
Rafidah stressed that khat is not Jawi, a language or a subject, but rather calligraphy similar to Chinese calligraphy.
She said the Education Ministry should not make learning khat compulsory, but as an elective subject to increase knowledge and promote it for creativity.
Earlier, in her speech, Rafidah said she texted Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik regarding her objections on the khat issue following the ministry's announcement recently that it would include khat in the Year 4 syllabus next year.
"When you force everybody to do calligraphy, I will be the first one to fail. I have no flair for all these artistic works.
"My fingers don't answer to my brain. It is artistic and, like anything else, is a talent. We don't need that kind of talent to be incorporated as a must-do part of the curriculum in schools," she said.
Rafidah added that it was better to learn a language than calligraphy.
"The education system is overloaded with all kinds of nonsense over the decades. Don't overload the children with unnecessary, frivolous subjects," she said. - Bernama
"The question is, do you want to make it (khat) a subject or elective?
"If elective it is fine; people are into this as a fine art. Do not make it as though we are making you learn khat; it is the most silly thing to do.
"There are other things that need to be learnt," the former international trade and industry minister said.
She was speaking to reporters after her keynote address at the Perdana Discourse Series 21 titled "Factors Impeding Malaysia's Economic Progress and How to Overcome Them”, at Yayasan Kepimpinan Perdana here Wednesday (Aug 7).
Rafidah stressed that khat is not Jawi, a language or a subject, but rather calligraphy similar to Chinese calligraphy.
She said the Education Ministry should not make learning khat compulsory, but as an elective subject to increase knowledge and promote it for creativity.
Earlier, in her speech, Rafidah said she texted Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik regarding her objections on the khat issue following the ministry's announcement recently that it would include khat in the Year 4 syllabus next year.
"When you force everybody to do calligraphy, I will be the first one to fail. I have no flair for all these artistic works.
"My fingers don't answer to my brain. It is artistic and, like anything else, is a talent. We don't need that kind of talent to be incorporated as a must-do part of the curriculum in schools," she said.
Rafidah added that it was better to learn a language than calligraphy.
"The education system is overloaded with all kinds of nonsense over the decades. Don't overload the children with unnecessary, frivolous subjects," she said. - Bernama
The Islamization process started long ago on multiple fronts; a good example is in our school Sejarah textbooks, huge chunks of it now dedicated to one race, one culture, one civilization, with regular exhortations and praises for one prophet. Then after the textbooks have been completely re-written the ministry made Sejarah a mandatory pass in order to pass SPM. Forced indoctrination. Clever no?
ReplyDeleteWith Khat, same strategy....Sikit sikit lama lama jadi...wajib.
The official line is:
Khat, a form of Malay-Arabic calligraphy writing, is an art form and does not involve any religious element.
The problem is in Malaysia,
Malay = Islam = Malay = Islam = Malay
You cannot separate or distinguish the two.
Note the Chinese government went the other way, nipping the problem of Arabic script on signboards....they don't want the slow but sure creeping in of Islam; the Malaysian vernacular schools are doing the same...keep out the foreign influences.
QUOTE
China orders Arabic, Muslim symbols taken down in Beijing
By Reuters - July 31, 2019
BEIJING: Authorities in the Chinese capital have ordered halal restaurants and food stalls to remove Arabic script and symbols associated with Islam from their signs, part of an expanding national effort to "Sinicize" its Muslim population.
Employees at 11 restaurants and shops in Beijing selling halal products and visited by Reuters in recent days said officials had told them to remove images associated with Islam, such as the crescent moon and the word "halal" written in Arabic, from signs.
Government workers from various offices told one manager of a Beijing noodle shop to cover up the "halal" in Arabic on his shop's sign, and then watched him do it.
UNQUOTE
The Malaysian education standards has still not hit rock bottom since Anwar became the education minister.And it is decades ago.And yet this new moron who calls himself the education minister wants to introduce the Jawi calligraphy into primary schools.
ReplyDeleteIn subjects such as maths and science,Malaysia has even fallen behind Vietnam.It do not need to take a genius to figure it out that given such low education standards,our university graduates are deemed unemployable by small,medium to large corporations.What is the point of having so many universities if our college graduates can only find employment as uber drivers,maids and custodial work.
Ah! Some sensible comments at least from a well educated person on the Khat issue.
ReplyDeletewhen i was in primary school, we have to write both big script n small script. homework normally is once a week, one page each. if i recall correctly the big script is form by 9x9 square, one page is therefore normally 9 letters, however small script is around 20 by 8, hence is 160 letters. we hate small script, thus the easy way is to write one word 4x4 then total only 40 letters. the teacher damn angry n scold the whole class, some write small script in a big script exercise book, while some write big script on a small script exercise book.
ReplyDeletethankfully the teacher dun relate the script to chinese culture or religion, or else he might accuse us insulting chinese culture n religion.
the ministry really have to think deeply if khat have any religion connotation or no. one might one day accuse a std 4 insult religion.
Mfer, what's yr points here?
DeleteWhat u had learnt was an elected subject, NOT mandated under a must passed bm!
Khat is definitely zombieic related, no any double faces about it. Unless it's another one of yr usual leaking fart!
my point is that many chinese dun like chinese calligraphy, so dun expect us would treat khat seriously. kids and parents might make fun of it and treat it as rubbish like how some chinese treat chinese calligraphy.
Deletego vent yr anger at that dad n son ie mahathir dog.
Mfer, I repeat for yr f*cked-up mind - elective ie choice NOT mandate in a must pass bm subject!
DeleteNothing to do with like or dislike - just a subtlety in religiosity subjugation!
Mfer, "vent my anger at that dad n son & mahathir"!??
Many more times than u fart here le!
But I too f*cked kau2 those stealthy initiators & zombieic moles who keep playing their all important ketuanan agenda.
What have u done - but JUST keep blaming that dad n son & mahathir, ANY CHANCE u got!
stupid, i am talking abt chinese calligraphy which is part of chinese language subject syllabus. its not optional.
Deleten where did i say i agree khat to be taught in sjkc, its mahathir n his 2 lapdog that said okay.
n i also remind the muslim be honest to themselves whether khat is religion related, some chinese may not appreciate n devout the khat like muslim did, like how we treat our own chinese caligrapcal.
Mfer, do reread my takes.
DeleteU r been selective AGAIN! Anywhere in my comment, did I specially mentioned ONLY for khat?
"point is that many chinese dun like chinese calligraphy, so dun expect us would treat khat seriously"
But khat hides within a compulsory MUST pass subject KNOWN as bm!
No choice! Die2 must master something in order to pass the compulsory subject!
Just bcoz of that subtly move, the ketuanan agenda has matched that many steps ahead!
So Chinese calligraphy in Chinese lesson vis-a-vis khat in bm. U tell me the differences lah, mfer.
Don't just hide behind yr spurious open heart for anything just bcoz behind the scence there is a deal done during dangdut happy hour. Right?