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Tuesday October 3, 2006

Race and religion still stated on exam slips

NO CHANGE: The Pernilian Menengah Rendah (PMR) examination slip still showing details of race and religion.
PETALING JAYA: The recurring issue of race and religion being stated on the examination slips has arisen again.

A parent, who wanted to be known as Siva, discovered the inconsistency on his son’s slip for this year’s Pernilian Menengah Rendah (PMR) examinations.

“I don’t understand why the race of the student has to be displayed and if they are so insistent on stating the religion, why is “Islam” and “Bukan Islam” (not Islam) the only options?” said Siva.

He said that he is concerned for the future of the country if such segregation continues.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim told The Star after speaking to the Malaysian Examinations Syndicate (MES) that students are still being identified by their identity cards (IC).

“Because their IC states the religion, it is repeated onto the slip,” he said.

Hon added that this is also for identification purposes when it involves Islamic-based examinations.

“If a non-Muslim student wants to sit for an Islamic paper, then we need to make sure that they have had their parent’s consent to do so. This is so that there is no sensitivity,” he said.

NUTP secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng said that they have not received any complaints on this issue.

The MES could not be reached for comment.

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