Gsf Activist S Call To Include Palestinian Struggle As School Syllabus Is Skewed Towards Self Praise

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Letter to Editor
IT IS often said that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
That adage can most certainly be applied to the Gaza conflict and the extent of Malaysians’ understanding of it.
Given this nation’s unwavering support for Palestine, one could be forgiven for thinking that many locals would be well-versed in the intricacies of the conflict.
In fact, I recall reading an anecdote by a university lecturer about letting his class have a debate on the Palestine issue.
It was lively, opiniated and fiery but when said lecturer pulled open a world map and challenged the students to pinpoint Palestine and Israel, shockingly, none could do so.
I am unable to find that post and as such cannot verify the authenticity of the story. But having worked in higher education for many years, I can attest to the levels of ignorance among local students. It is truly shocking.
As such, the suggestion to include the Palestinian struggle in Malaysian school syllabus by famed singer, actress and preacher renowned for her pro-Palestinian humanitarian efforts, Heliza Helmi, does make sense. Or does it?


Agree to disagree
Having been part of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) mission, the 39-year-old Kuala Terengganu-born Heliza has mooted the idea that life struggles of Palestinians be included in the Malaysian school syllabus in an effort to raise awareness from an early stage.

According to the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) alumna who rose to prominence in the fifth season (2007) of Akademi Fantasia – a TV3 reality television programme – this aims to open the public’s eyes to the suffering experienced by fellow Muslims in the country.
One would have expected Muslims to accept her views wholesale but such is not the case as evident from comments on Astro Gempak’s Facebook page which has attracted 10K likes, 5.6K comments and 1K shares at the time of writing which denotes the fact that the opinion has captured vast public’s attention.
Firstly, it was highlighted that perhaps local pupils need to familiarise themselves with Malaysian history first before venturing onto global topics.


Moreover, local teachers were already struggling to cope with existing syllabus, never mind having to deal with a complex topic such as the Palestinian struggle.

It was also sarcastically mentioned that the names of Malaysian activists involved in the GSF mission would be inscribed in history books so their deeds can be celebrated for eternity.
The fact that it was a “failed” mission that eventually needed government intervention for their release from Israeli captivity was also highlighted.


Needless to say, there were those who agreed with the suggestion given that is a highly emotive topic.
But it is extremely refreshing to see a sizeable contingent who do not share Heliza’s view given the many existing shortcomings in the education system as it stands.
This, of course, does NOT mean Malaysians are unsupportive of the plight of Palestinians but rather it does not merit inclusion in local education syllabus just yet.
Perhaps, instead of loading our students’ grey matter with the complex intricacies of the topic, we need better geography lessons so that at least our students can pinpoint Palestine’s exact location on a map. 
Retired Teacher
Nilai
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia.

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