In response to Dr Ranjit Malhi Singh critique of the history syllabus in our schools. Professor Ramlah Adam came up with a response:
Source here.
I think the good Professor have a few points there, I don't know what Dr Ranjit is trying to do but the history of any country will always be told and taught through the eyes of the majority and this holds true for any country in the world be it Singapore thru to the United States of America. Malaysia should not be any different.
KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — Secondary school history textbooks seem too Islamic and Malay-centric because non-Malays fail to understand Malaysia’s history, Malay rights group Perkasa asserted today.
Perkasa leadership council member Datin Paduka Professor Dr Ramlah Adam flayed historian Dr Ranjit Malhi Singh today for saying that the current history syllabus had downplayed the contributions of non-Malays and other religions in the country’s history.
“The non-Malays do not understand this because they do not want to accept the concept of Malay supremacy (ketuanan melayu),” Ramlah told reporters here.
Ramlah, who is also a historian and the author of the Form 3 and Form 5 history textbooks, insisted that there is “nothing wrong” with the current history syllabus for secondary schools.
“The history syllabus is well-balanced … we don’t talk or put in negative issues that have happened, we take in the positive (parts).
“What do you want to be put in? About how the contributions of the non-Malays are in the form of the Malayan communist party?
“We do not emphasise May 13 even. It is negative … we only put in one line, the important thing is that we must maintain racial harmony and patriotism,” she stressed.
Ranjit, who was the author of history textbooks until 1996, believes that “scant attention” has been paid to the efforts of the Chinese and Indians in the development of the nation.
He has also charged that there are too many “half-truths and factual errors” in the current syllabus, and that it is laden with “value judgments.”
But Ramlah said the reason for the emphasis on Malays and Islam was because the Malays were recognised by the British as the original inhabitants of the land.
She also said that historical records showed that various agreements were done and signed by the British and Malay rulers, and not any other race.
Ramlah pointed out that the parties which signed the 1957 Merdeka agreement and the agreement for the formation of Malaysia in 1963 were also the Malay Rulers.
“We are not discriminating, we are following what has been clearly recorded in history.
“The non-Malays, they came to this country, contributed as either investors or labourers (kuli),” she added.
The Perkasa leader went to great lengths to explain that the contributions of the non-Malays have been mentioned in the history textbooks — the late Tun Tan Cheng Lock and Tun H.S Lee, for example, were duly recognised for their efforts in shaping Malaysia.
“Ranjit was talking about how Yap Ah Loy was not recognised ... well, he did not form Kuala Lumpur, that’s why he’s not mentioned.
“Ranjit himself was called by the government, along with Tan Sri Professor Dr Khoo Kay Kim, to check the syllabus … he signed it and got paid. There was no complaint then,” Ramlah claimed.
Ranjit had lamented the fact that non-Malay leaders like Yap Ah Loy were not duly recognised in the history textbooks.
Ramlah admitted, however, that the Form 4 history syllabus had placed a lot of emphasis on Islamic civilisation, and that the government was working to revamp the current module.
“The government is already looking into it, so why is he complaining? Ranjit is a consultant. I do not know what his motives are … we cannot afford to fool around with history, we must make sure it is accurately represented,” she added.
Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali said the spate of complaints urging a revamp of the history textbooks showed that the “minorities” in the country were too demanding in wanting to assert their “rights.”
“Islam is the religion of the country, Malays are the majority ... its simple,” he said today
Source here.
I think the good Professor have a few points there, I don't know what Dr Ranjit is trying to do but the history of any country will always be told and taught through the eyes of the majority and this holds true for any country in the world be it Singapore thru to the United States of America. Malaysia should not be any different.
5 comments:
Dr Ramlah memanjangkan hujah yang bernas apabila beliau mengatakan perjanjian-perjanjian [untuk mengukir 'kawasan naungan'] semuanya ditandatangani penjajah British dengan pemerintah Melayu (dan bukannya dengan para pemimpin Cina ataupun India).
Dan bro pun tidak kurang juga kerana memang kita perlu akur bahawa "the history of any country will always be told and taught through the eyes of the majority".
Sebenarnya bukan semestinya 'majority' tetapi yang 'dominen', yakni ditulis mengikut sudut pandangan mereka yang memegang tampuk kuasa. Dari segi kesinambungan tamadun, tidak dapat dinafikan sesiapa bahawa budaya Melayulah yang terserlah sejak dulu-dulu lagi serta kedaulatan Sultan-sultan kita bercirikan keabsahan kedudukan mereka sebagai lambang ketua Islam.
Namun saya kira yang Dr Ranjit hendak pertikaikan adalah usul penafian fakta sejarah, misalannya tidak diberitahu langsung tentang Parameswara seorang putera beragama Hindu (malahan namanya sekaligus dilenyapkan) manakala penempatan awal Hindu seperti Lembah Bujang di Kedah hanya disebut dua perenggan pendek sahaja dalam rujukan utama (buku teks Tingkatan 4).
Apa pendapat bro dalam hal ini?
Bro Anon 14:30, Syllabus Sejrah memang rumit, ya tidak boleh dinafikan juga bahawa orang Melayu menganut ugama Hindu sebelum mereka menganut Ugama Islam.
Walaubagaimanapun pengajaran sejarah juga tertakluk pada parti politik dominan yang memerintah. Teras sejarah pemerintah sekarang ialah Islam Ugama Resmi dan Melayu kaum dominan maka sejarah dan budaya itu yang akan diutamakan.
"History is written by the victor" dalam konteks Malaysia atau negara-negara lain "the victor" ialah parti politik dominan yang memenangi pilihanraya.
Meskipun agama Islam tunjang sejarah rantau ini (Nusantara), takkan lah buku sejarah KBSM sampai dok menafikan kaum Melayu pada asalnya beragama Hindu? Itulah yang diujarkan Dr Ranjit. Fakta tetap fakta; kesahihannya diterima umum. Kenapa ianya hendak ditidakkan pula?
x pyh cite sejarah..baik tulis sejarah baru..malaya x dijajah..yg dijajah ialah pulau jerjak..heheheh..warisan sejarah malaya terbitan PDB 2011, ciptaan aku!
Salam/Hello,
FYI, Melayu dahulu-kala tidak pernah beragama Hindu. Mereka Buddhist seperti yang kita semua tahu dari Empayar Sriwijaya lagi -- Ini yang FAKTA!
Majapahit walaupun Hindu, ia cuma di beberapa bahagian di Pulau Jawa & ke sebelah timur, di mana, bekasnya HANYA terdapat di Pulau Bali sahaja sekarang ini. -- Ini FAKTA.
Diharapa orang2 Melayu, tidak kira di Malaysia ataupun Indonesia terutamanya sekali, terikut2 dengan penyelewengan sejarah oleh pihak2 ASING yang 'berkepentingan' kerana pengaruh Buddhism di Asia Tenggara sungguh ketara -- termasuk di Lembah Bujang & kota lama yang baru dijumpai di Kota Gelanggi, Johor juga merupakan kota tinggalan Sriwijaya - ie. Buddhist.
Kedah cuma ditakluk buat beberapa tahun sahaja (lebihkurang 22 tahun) oleh Raja Chola, India & Hindu cuma bertapak Buat Sementara SAHAJA.
Sekian.
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