'Demon Slayer', 'Ninja Turtles' and school dragged into 'toy guns' row
Characters from the popular Japanese anime, Demon Slayer and the US show, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been roped into the debate on the appropriateness of using fake firearms for the Palestine Solidarity Week.
This also led to a school in Pandamaran, Selangor, finding itself in the spotlight for organising a cosplay competition for its students.
Cosplay is an act of dressing up as a character from a film, cartoon, book or video game.
It is to note that the cosplay event was held at the school in conjunction with World Children’s Day.
Since last weekend, those defending the use of toy guns have been sharing photographs from the competition.
Two PAS MPs, Ahmad Fadli Shaari (Pasir Mas) and Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden (Alor Setar) have also pounced on the issue.
Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadli Shaari
Ahmad Fadli named the school in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday while Afnan showed photographs, without mentioning the school, of students with toy Japanese katanas as well as bows and arrows, during a press conference in Parliament.
Based on screenshots, the school uploaded the photographs, which are no longer available, on its Facebook page on Oct 20.
Malaysiakini is withholding the name of the school since the administration has declined to comment.
‘Flawed comparison’
Meanwhile, Pandamaran assemblyperson Tony Leong felt that the PAS leaders were wrong to compare the cosplay competition with the use of toy guns during Palestine week.
Ahmad Fadli named the school in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday while Afnan showed photographs, without mentioning the school, of students with toy Japanese katanas as well as bows and arrows, during a press conference in Parliament.
Based on screenshots, the school uploaded the photographs, which are no longer available, on its Facebook page on Oct 20.
Malaysiakini is withholding the name of the school since the administration has declined to comment.
‘Flawed comparison’
Meanwhile, Pandamaran assemblyperson Tony Leong felt that the PAS leaders were wrong to compare the cosplay competition with the use of toy guns during Palestine week.
Pandamaran assemblyperson Tony Leong
"This is cosplay, only anime and comics are involved. This is not a war between nations, so it's different," he told Malaysiakini.
Leong also censured the PAS MPs for singling out the school in Pandamaran when cosplay events are commonplace in local schools.
On a personal note, the DAP assemblyperson said while he supported the Palestinian struggle, he, however, disagreed with holding a solidarity week in schools.
“A school is for studying. It is not appropriate to involve students (in the Palestine-Israel conflict). It is different for adults, they understand the situation better, can hold rallies and so forth.
"But children cannot comprehend the situation. It is not right to give them toy guns and tell them to go to war,” he added.
Leong also criticised the PAS leaders for harping on this issue, and urged the public to judge for themselves which of the two events is linked to war and violence in the real world.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has explained that the solidarity week is to instil humanitarian values in students and the Education Ministry has cautioned against the use of toy weapons.
Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim questioning the use of such paraphernalia as well.
"This is cosplay, only anime and comics are involved. This is not a war between nations, so it's different," he told Malaysiakini.
Leong also censured the PAS MPs for singling out the school in Pandamaran when cosplay events are commonplace in local schools.
On a personal note, the DAP assemblyperson said while he supported the Palestinian struggle, he, however, disagreed with holding a solidarity week in schools.
“A school is for studying. It is not appropriate to involve students (in the Palestine-Israel conflict). It is different for adults, they understand the situation better, can hold rallies and so forth.
"But children cannot comprehend the situation. It is not right to give them toy guns and tell them to go to war,” he added.
Leong also criticised the PAS leaders for harping on this issue, and urged the public to judge for themselves which of the two events is linked to war and violence in the real world.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has explained that the solidarity week is to instil humanitarian values in students and the Education Ministry has cautioned against the use of toy weapons.
Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim questioning the use of such paraphernalia as well.
You have to be a real Dumbo to equate Ninja Turtles to copsplay gloryfing Hamas killers
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