The ethos of a school, not its course offerings, is the decisive factor in forming character.
Read Character Matters and other articles under Additional Reading at http://www.assuntaalumni.com/media/missionschools.html
Also read A Gentle Reminder further down the same column. Just updated in case politicians visiting the site don't know the meaning of the words such as ethos, character and a long list of other words i’ve just inserted there :p

Please take time to email and post this in blogs and other forums; and sign the Petition: Respect the Ethos and Character of Mission Schools at http://www.petitiononline.com/assunta/petition.html …simply because, Negara Kita, Tanggungjawab Kita (Our Country, Our Responsibility)

Happy reading and have a “thought-ful” weekend

:p

Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007
Subject: PR - Demolish Statues, Destroy Crosses in Mission Schools said UMNO MP

FYI,

1. Pahlawan Volunteers have officially lodged a complaint to the Public Complaints Bureau at http://www.bpa.jpm.my/bpa_web/index_1_.php?lang=E - Kindly forward the email below to all media you may know. Thanks.
   
   
2. I’ve started a thread on the same topic at Lowyat Forum - http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/561471
   • Please forward this message on to all mission schools, and their old boys and old girls nationwide that you may know.
   • They may like to post their mission schools’ ethos and identity they like to see redressed there.
     

BTW, also read the comment by Johanian Bernard Khoo on this issue at http://zorro-zorro-unmasked.blogspot.com/2007/11/whats-wrong-with-our-malaysia-jakarta.html :D LOL!
He is calling on all Muslim Xaverians (Penang), Georgians (Taiping), Michaelians (Ipoh), Johanians (KL), LaSallians (PJ, Klang, Sentul, Peel Road, Brickfields), Paulians (Seremban), Franciscans (Malacca), all the Convent Girls and those from other Mission Schools throughout the country to give us your take on this issue.

Please help spread the word. Thanks!
:p

From: Pat Lu
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 11:21 PM
To: 'aduan@...'
Cc: Tan Lian Hoe
Subject: Demolish Statues, Destroy Crosses in Mission Schools said UMNO MP Parit Sulong

To: The Public Complaints Bureau, PM’s Department
CC: Dato Tan Lian Hoe, National Chairman, Wanita Parti Gerakan

Pahlawan Volunteers calls on UMNO to sack two ignorant MPs with immediate effect to restore public confidence in the Government the rakyat voted in.

Below is the translation of the hansard, pages 143-144, at the Third Meeting of The Fourth Session of Eleventh Parliament (Dewan Rakyat) on Monday, 29 October 2007 as seen at http://www.parlimen.gov.my/hindex/pdf/DR-29102007.pdf

Tuan Syed Hood bin Syed Edros [Parit Sulong]: Yang Di-Pertua, I would like to touch on a matter regarding the Ministry of Education, which are Christian missionary schools like Convent, La Salle, Methodist, and so forth. I was made to understand that the Board of Directors at these schools are partially administered by churches in foreign countries, for example in the Vatican City. I was also made to understand that the application to build a ’surau’ in some of these schools had to go through the approval of these Board of Directors whereby they are partially administered by the church. Therefore, it shames me that the school administrations are still controlled by the church. I was also made to understand that many Muslim parents send their kids to these schools, and that they have complained that sometimes, the school is started with church songs. I do not know if this is true, but what I discovered from these parents are the display of religious symbols. I feel disappointed that in an Islamic country, Malaysia, if I go to a convent school, the statue of St. Mary is displayed in the front of the school.

Datuk Haji Mohamad bin Haji Aziz [Sri Gading]: [Stands up]

Tuan Syed Hood bin Syed Edros [Parit Sulong]: Please proceed, Yang Berhormat for Sri Gading.

Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Dr. Yusof bin Yacob]: Yes, Yang Berhormat for Sri Gading.

Datuk Haji Mohamad bin Haji Aziz [Sri Gading]: I am not shocked at all, Yang Berhormat for Parit Sulong. It’s not just a simple question. The question is, why has this happened? One. During the last Hari Raya, I was told by a father, when Aidilfitri was celebrated, these types of schools were not closed. Thank you.

Tuan Syed Hood bin Syed Edros [Parit Sulong]: Not only statues, but fellow Yang Berhormat, go and see for yourselves, Christian crosses are displayed in front of schools. I do not understand the Ministry of Education, did the officers not see that, or is it our policy to allow such a thing? Nevertheless, I, as a responsible person to my religion, race, and country, I state my views that these statues need to be demolished, these crosses need to be destroyed and church influences in these schools need to be stopped. Also, the funds that are collected at these schools. Do we have a report? If possible, the ministry should reveal the funds for these schools. I was made to understand that these schools are also sponsored by the church.

Translation taken from:
http://www.darnmalaysia.com/2007/11/23/morons-of-parliament-demolish-christian-statues-destroy-the-crosses/

The duo’s irresponsible and unsubstantiated comments clearly demonstrate their glaring narrow-mindedness and TOTAL IGNORANCE of the following; thus distracting and sabotaging the way forward and urgent progressive steps being taken by the Government to arrest the decline in competitiveness and to rebuild the nation:

1. The Constitution of Malaysia - Read Part II, Articles 11 and 12 at http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Malaysia

2. Absolute no idea how mission schools are run and conducted in the best interest of the nation-building.

3. Mission schools are not fully Government funded, but categorized as a "sekolah bantuan modal" or Government aided school. This means that for many needs including school building projects and maintenance, the school would have to find its own funds.

4. The Government’s supportive stand of mission schools as announced in the various media as seen at Assunta Alumni’s news archive on mission schools nationwide at http://www.assuntaalumni.com/media/missionschools.html  

5. Among the distinguished old boys from mission school Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan St John Kuala Lumpur, or St John's Institution are Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Education Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein, the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, just to name a few.

PETITION: Respect the Ethos and Character of Mission Schools
http://www.petitiononline.com/assunta/petition.html
Please note that the above Assunta online petition is still ON (initiated early April 2005). Subsequently, Assuntarians wrote to the Minister of Education and relevant education departments on 15 June 2005. We hope to see this redressed before school resumes in January 2008 so that the current Assunta Primary 1 Standard Six students going to SM Assunta in 2009 have a continued sense of belonging in the Assunta Family and as Assunta is going to celebrate their Golden Jubilee next year.

Sincerely

Pat Lu
on behalf of Pahlawan Volunteers

Pat Lu | Chief Imagination Officer | RAYMA Sdn Bhd
Event Creator | Knowledge Bank | Mindshare Surgeon | Web Architect
M: +6012.210.4898 | www.rayma.com.my
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