Refrain from twisting facts, KKCCCI tells politicians

KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI) president Datuk Michael Lui has urged politicians to refrain from twisting the facts in an attempt to stoke racial and religious tension among the diverse ethnic groups in Malaysia.

“From time immemorial, the Chinese community have been putting up Chinese New Year decorations to celebrate the lunar new year.

“It is our culture and tradition, which has nothing to do with religion at all.”

Lui said the eight schools under KKCCCI’s management also putupdecorationsduringthefestivecelebrations,beitChinese New Year, Hari Raya or Harvest Festival.

He said the schools, namely Kota Kinabalu High School (KKHS), SJK(C) Chung Hwa Kota Kinabalu, SJK(C) Chung Hwa Likas, SJK(C) Hwa Shiong Putatan, SJK(C) Che Hwa Kolombong, Chung Hwa Likas Kindergarten, Chung Hwa PenampangKindergartenandHwaShiongKindergarten,were adorned with decorations ahead of the festive celebrations.

“The students in our schools celebrate the festive seasons together irrespective of race and creed.

“We have maintained this culture for a century,” he said when asked to comment about Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (PUTRA) vice-president and lawyer Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz who had threatened to report a public school in Puchong recently over its supposedly “religious” Chinese New Year decoration.

Thelawyeraccusedthedecorationofbeing“unconstitutional” andclaimedthatMuslimparentshadcomplainedagainstwhat they saw as an attempt to propagate a non-Islamic religion to students in the SMK Pusat Bandar Puchong 1 in Pusat Bandar Puchong. Lui expressed regret and disappointment over the incident. He said about 30 to 40 per cent of the students in the eight schools under KKCCCI were bumiputeras.

“In SJK(C) Hwa Shiong Putatan, bumiputeras made up 70 per cent of the pupils.

“Our students treat each other with respect and mingle around harmoniously.”

He hoped that politicians would stop stirring up issues that could affect the racial and religious harmony in the country.

Nevertheless, Lui was relieved that such incident had never occurred in Sabah.

“West Malaysian leaders should come to Sabah and learn a thing or two about racial amity here.”