..or should you?
Yesterday, Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Tun Dr Ismail Satu held an election -- for pupils to choose their head prefect.
"We want the students to understand the democratic process as practised in the country"-- headmaster Nik Nab Sulaiman.
There is some debate on this.
Anyway, in the 5-cornered fight of 12 year-olds, Khairul Azil Khairul Razi sang (with a guitar during campaign) his way to victory with 365 votes, beating his closest rival, Alia Suraya Ahmad, by 84 votes. Alia became the deputy head prefect.
The other candidates, Nurul Amalina Amiruddin got 117 votes, Nik Zaman Faisal Zakimi, 86, and Mohammad Shahril Mohamad Anuar, 57.
State Election Commission officers were at hand to assist the school in the election.
While some parents think it's fine to expose 12 year-olds and younger children to this democratic process of election, there are others who think otherwise. All that exposure to campaigning to win votes for these primary school kids, is not good.
I see their point. Why start them so young in learning to be politicians?
I imagine, being a politician isn't any parent's wish for their kids -- generally speaking.
Perhaps, at some point in a student's life, there is an advantage in exposing them to this process.
I know I was -- in secondary school (Assunta School in Petaling Jaya).
Head prefects and ordinary prefects were elected by the students. So, shortlisted candidates would have to meet their voters and win them over. It was very democratic. Really cool.
16 comments:
Starting them young may be good but instilling the wrong values and wrong information into their brains is a great sin!
Just take a look at what is printed behind school exercise books! Printed on it is the RUKUNEGARA, but is that the original RUKUNEGARA? All you see are the five principles! What happened to the preamble?
The reason the preamble was CENSORED was because to deceive the younger generation because it contained these words "MEMBINA MASYARAKAT YANG ADIL". It is feared that some smart youngster may one day turn around and ask the government the meaning of these words when SPECIAL PRIVILEGES are accorded to specific groups of people in Malaysia!
ktteokt,
i think you should look into and at yourself.
you sound very angry.
Bravo to the school administration. To me, the most important thing is to teach the students the importance of evaluating candidates, and to teach them what characteristics to look for from a candidate. If every school were to embark on this, we shall see the results in national politics in 20 to 30 years.
I was in La Salle PJ and remember we had to vote for prefects. Years later I was told that although the students voted, it was the teachers that had the final say.
Also, I remember that most students who became prefects were children of VIPs.
Another feather in the cap for Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
Yep, people with a chip on their shoulders should stop talking and start walking.
apa lah dia orang ni, rukun negara at the back of school text books also want to be turned into a political issue. nak gaduh politik pun jangan la sampai libatkan budak-budak. mangkuk hayun betul.
I think it's good idea to start them young but why not take it one step further. I'm studying in Australia and staying with a host family. Their daughter is one of the co-captains (macam head prefect) of the primary school. The other is a boy. Their selection for election as captain in the school is based on academic performance, leadership skills and community work. Her community work involved raising funds to buy books for students in a primary school in Cambodia. She managed to raise A$400.
I believe this model is also appropriate for Malaysian schools.
All the best
Dewi
is the 'election' tajaan UMNO ?? money politic start at young ??
The school should starting them young to 'anti all form of corruption and racism' !!
Khairy
I believe students, especially from secondary students, should be exposed to politics -- the role it plays in society, the philosophy and processes. The right exposure could help them become more responsible adults. What we don't want are kids who simply follow and believe sentiments blindly (instead of facts), participate in street demos just for the fun of it and become general nuisance. The subject of politics, exposed to kids in a holistic, fun and constructive way, should help them engage in the process by thinking, evaluating, deciding and acting in an informed and responsible way. I think they want to feel important and be heard, just like adults do, but they need proper guidance.
Hey Nuraina,
ktteokt has a good point here. Read the preamble and then compare to what is currently happening in the country right now....
I especially this one - "menjamin satu cara liberal terhadap tradisi-tradisi kebudayaannya yang kaya dan berbagai corak"
This phrase: "cara liberal"... what does it mean?
Thank you, Anonymous 7:37 PM! Glad you see my point. Many people does not realize this problem and the minds of the younger generation is being "poisoned" by such propaganda.
I certainly do not hope to see Malaysia end up like Japan where the younger generation has been kept in the dark over the history of the nation! The Japanese had actually "re-written" Japanese history!!!! Is Malaysia following that route too?
Severing or censoring the preamble to the RUKUNEGARA shows the intention of our government to cheat the younger generations! We will one day end up like Japan where facts concerning the two world wars in which Japan participated were erased and the young Japanese were made to believe that such things DID NOT HAPPEN!
yes Nuraina, we do sound angry. There is a reason for it. u can pretend all u want.
Ever heard the saying "What you don't see can't hurt you"? That is exactly what our government is trying to do!
hey ktteokt (sound like krekot lah)..
you probably had a mental twist inside that cranium cavity of yours..
You get yourself confused with the words like 'adil' (fair), 'sama' (equal) , 'keistimewaan' (privilege) and 'hak' (right)..
Now, in your understanding of our Federal Constitution, whose right had been deprived? Tell us pls..
Get your Bahasa Kebangsaan brush up 1st before you keep on drowning yourself in more & more confusion with the National Language..
:D muhahaha
Anon 7:37 PM,
- "menjamin satu cara liberal terhadap tradisi-tradisi kebudayaannya yang kaya dan berbagai corak"
Bet they never taught you about that properly in SRJK, right? that's why your brain still failed to understand it..
Let me tell youn in simple linguistic approach..
Liberal is and adjective..the following object is "tradisi-tradisi kebudayaan..bla..bla.."
So what does that tell you? Simple, you can be and practice your Chinesism or Indianism or whatever even thought you're in a land name MALAYsia far away from where those "tradisi2 kebudayaan bla..bla" came from..
You people failed to see beyond words..how tolerant WE and this country have been to you all..
You want pure liberal & equality? Then we should all follow the Thailand & Indonesia way..EVERYTHING shall be and ONLY be the MAJORITY things..
Do you really craved for that? tell me honestly..
If not, start counting the blessing and go brush up you command in Bahasa Melayu 24-7.
:D muhahahaha
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