So difficult just to get exemptions

By Stephen Ng

In October last year, I wrote about the appeal to the Minister of Education, Dr Maszlee Malik to grant exemption for kids who are already participating in a church-based uniformed group.

I see it fit to bring this up again, as a follow-up letter to Maszlee which 

has gone unheeded. I wish to reiterate that, as parents, we agree and support the ministry’s 1Sukan, 1Murid policy. 

However, how our children participate in one sports, one uniformed group and one club, is in the hands of parents, not the policymakers. 

For example, I send my  children to a uniform group in my church every Sunday because I find it providing a holistic character and leadership development programme for my children.

They, too, love the activities of their outpost. When my family were hospitalised because of dengue, the commanders visited my children. This really cheered them up. 

For this reason, my children know that they would not trade it for anything else come every Sunday afternoon. They also love the camping experience, where they learn cooking and how to set up a tent. 

Because of their involvement every Sunday, there is no reason for them to be involved in another uniformed group in school. A parent with kids in this same group told me that her son is forced to join the Boys Scouts in his school but interestingly, the kids never had to but scouts uniform. 

This, for the sake of the minister, is how schools are treating the 1Sukan, 1 Murid. While we are doing our best to appeal for exemption for our kids so that they do not have to attend another uniformed group in school, most schools do not even give a damn to the ministry’s policy.

A week ago, I had to finally write to the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, since two appeals going to the Education Minister have fallen on deaf ears. Perhaps, it is because I was being too honest to tell him that it is a church-based uniformed group.

When I enquired about the decision, I was told that the approval could not be given for fear that if any untoward incident happened to any of the children, the ministry would be made responsible.

Allow me to reiterate once again that a letter stating that kids who are already attending this church-based unformed group are exempted from attending another group in school, can also include a clause to say that the children are under the care of its umbrella body. 

By doing so, the Minister of Education can absolve itself of any responsibility. Simple as that, but where is the will to do what is right so that our children are exempted from other uniformed groups?

End.