Stop racial polemics, says PM

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants all quarters to stop engaging in racial polemics as all Malaysians are guaranteed equitable rights and justice.

Referring to “Imam Nawawi’s 40 Hadith Appreciation Module” launched by the Education Ministry on Aug 19, Anwar said it was only targeted for Muslim students and there was no compulsion for non-Muslims to study it.

“This subject is only for Muslim children as part of Islamic education. Ask first instead of getting angry.

“Today, I am in Little India. Extremists would say Anwar is looking after Indians only.

“When it concerns Malays, including text (module) for Muslim children to study the hadith, they say Anwar only cares for Islam. Everything I do seems to be wrong,” he said after launching the Lestari Niaga@Kuala Lumpur D’Medan Selera Madani Programme at Kompleks Tun Sambanthan yesterday.

He added that it was his responsibility as a leader to ensure that Islam was properly learnt and appreciated.

The module is aimed at inculcating an appreciation of the hadith starting from school level, and to promote religious understanding, especially among Muslim students and teachers.

The pilot programme will be implemented at 61 Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama and 228 Sekolah Agama Bantuan Kerajaan throughout the country.

Certain quarters, including the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism, had disputed the implementation of the module, claiming that it was against the Federal Constitution and violated the right to freedom of religion.

The Education Ministry has explained that the module is only to be taught to Muslim students.