PETALING JAYA: A Bersatu leader has urged the education ministry to explain the “stern action” taken against one of its officers after the latter banned two traditional Tamil songs from being performed at a carnival in Penang last week.
Bersatu associate wing information chief R Sanjeevan said the Indian community remained uncertain about the specific action taken against the officer.
“Given the significance of the issue, I believe the education ministry should disclose the details of the action to the public.
“It is crucial for the ministry to inform the public about the measures taken against the officer to address the trust deficit it currently faces,” he said in a statement.
On Monday, education minister Fadhlina Sidek apologised to the Indian community over the blunder and said that “stern action” had been taken against the officer involved. She, however, did not reveal details of the action taken.
Fadhlina went on to say that the song titled “Tamil Valthu”, which is about the Tamil language, would be performed during the Penang Deepavali celebration on Nov 29. The other song was titled, “Kadavul Valthu”, a worship song.
Sanjeevan said transparency in this matter could serve as a reminder to all ministry officials about the consequences of “interfering with the religious and cultural practices of any community”.
He also called on the education ministry to engage with all stakeholders to establish comprehensive guidelines, especially for programmes focusing on specific communities.
“This ensures that religious and cultural sensitivities are considered beforehand.”
Previously, Batu MP P Prabakaran demanded an apology from those responsible. He said the incident at the event organised by the education ministry had “hurt the Indian community” since the songs were part of a tradition for Tamil schools.
He also claimed that pictures of Tamil literary and philosophical figure Thiruvalluvar were banned from being displayed during the carnival and demanded an explanation from the minister.
