‘remove crucifixes’ MP explain himself

that is the heading from malaysiakini, where it seems that this MP for parit sulong was trying to explain himself why he said what he said as appeared in the hansard dated 29 oct.

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note: my comments in bracket.

‘Remove crucifixes’ MP explains himself
Yoges Palaniappan
Dec 4, 07 4: 33pm           

The Barisan Nasional MP who suggested that crucifixes be removed from mission schools today  explained that he was merely raising public concern.

(wow. how nice of him. really kah? public concern? did he mean there were some people complaining to him about the crucifixes and statues?)

Syed Hood Syed Edros (BN-Parit Sulong) told reporters in Parliament that he raised the issue in the  Dewan Rakyat in order to get clarification from the Education Ministry.

On Oct 29, Syed Hood and Mohamad Aziz (BN-Sri Gading) (right)suggested that crucifixes in mission  schools be removed and church influence over these schools be stopped.

Syed Hood told the Dewan Rakyat that he believes that the school board in mission schools are  partially administered by foreign churches, for example the Vatican City in Italy.

He said he was "ashamed and disappointed" that schools in an Islamic country like Malaysia are still  under the control of churches and that they display icons like crosses and statues.

However, he told reporters today that he did not raise the issue in bad faith but had merely raised the  “grouses of the public”.

"As the people’s representative, I hear complaints and laments from the public. And every complaint  must be given a proper explanation, " he said, adding that PAS would play up the issue if no proper  explanation was given.

(what? now blaming PAS? because of PAS, he had to bring this issue up?)

Thanking mission schools for providing education to Malaysians in the early years, Syed Hood said:  "Then, Malay parents didn’t send their children to mission schools. But now that the country has  developed, we have many of them doing so and we need to explain to them when they have doubts. "

(this MP is really yang bodoh (YB). who told him then malay parents didn’t send their children to mission schools? didn’t he know that our  no. 2 man, the DPM were from mission school? and we also had the education minister, kerismuddin and raja nazrin, and lots more malays ministers – they are now adults; they were sent to mission schools by their parents THEN… and YB…h said at that time malay parents didn’t).

Explaining that Deputy Education Minister Noh Omar’s reply in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday had  clarified the matter, Syed Hood said: "The clarification would provide much relief to the people of all  races. "

(nope. i’m not relieved at all. of course you, a MP UMNOputra, accept his explanation since he is also a MP UMNOputra. i just can’t imagine if it were terbalik… a non UMNO MP saying something e.g. of the mosque, all the UMNOputra will jump up and say it is seditious and will NOT accept his explanation, instead saying he should be punished. oh well, we all know there are 2 sets of laws, don’t we.)

Respect for religion

Syed Hood said the issue was played up in emails and blog-posts by those "who did not understand his  intention".

(whoa! played up? blaming bloggers eh! so what else is new.  people should be thankful to bloggers instead because if not for them, this issue wouldn’t be on the mainstream media at all!)

"What I said in the Dewan does not reflect Syed Hood the MP. I, as an individual and politician, always  respect other races and religions.

(ahem. yakah? then why you said "saya menyatakan pendirian saya bahawa patung-patung itu hendak dirobohkan, salib-salib itu hendak di musnahkan dan penagaruh-pengaruh gereja di sekolah-sekolah ini harus dihentikan". you call that respect other religion? the proof is there at the hansard)

"I personally don’t have any issue with crosses being displayed in mission schools. We have to respect  the religion of others to gain their respect for our religion. "

(liar! but you had mentioned for the crosses to be destroyed!)

He said his eldest child had attended SMK Convent Batu Pahat when his family lived in the town.

Asked to comment on Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz’s statement that  action would be taken against him if a police report is lodged regarding his remarks, Syed Hood said:  "We have to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. "

(another liar! why should we waste our time making police report when it is a known fact that whatever MPs said in parliament, they enjoyed immunity, so no point to made the report.)

He also said that, in life, one has to make mistakes and learn from these, and if he has made one, then it  can still be rectified.

(yeah right. because he is a UMNOputra. like the all the others UMNOputra who made seditious remarks at last year’s UMNO general assembly, they escaped because they were ‘inexperienced’ and do make mistakes.)

‘Hisham must explain’

However, Nazri reiterated today that no action would be taken against Syed Hood unless there is a  complaint from other MPs.

"I am the (BN) deputy whip. I have to wait for other members to complain, " he told reporters today.

Parliamentary Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang, at a press conference, urged Education Minister  Hishammuddin Hussein to explain if it is true that crucifixes in mission school emblems have been  removed and replaced.

"I call on Hishammuddin to explain how many mission schools in the country have replaced the cross in  the school emblem, together with a full list of the schools concerned and the relevant particulars on the  year of removal and why, " he said.

He also explained that he had received complaints in his blog about several mission schools where the  crucifixes on their emblems have been replaced.

"Among the schools are St David High School, Malacca (crucifix replaced with a crown), Convent Girls  School, Muar (crucifix replaced with a crescent moon), and Methodist Boys Secondary School, Kuala  Lumpur, " he said.

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read also LKS ‘how many mission schools in the country have the cross removed from school emblem?’