GEORGE TOWN: Gerakan has called upon Malaysians to respect the national anthem by not altering it in any way, as laid down by the National Anthem Act 1968.
Commenting on the controversy surrounding the “Negaraku” being sung in Mandarin at a school in Seremban, last year, Gerakan president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau said that it went against the law.
He said that while he understood that the intention of the school was to promote deeper understanding and appreciation of the national anthem among its students, the Negaraku is inviolate.
“I am sure that the primary school did not intend to alter the national anthem to damage the country, but instead, to allow more people to understand and appreciate (it).
“However, we must respect and protect the national anthem by not changing it in any way,” he told reporters after distributing 2020 calendars at Lebuh Cecil market here, today.
A 1-minute-and-22-second video of students singing the “Negaraku” in Mandarin at a vernacular school in Seremban, last year, has recently gone viral, drawing flak from many quarters.
The video has even caught the attention of the Education Ministry, which has launched an investigation into the incident.
The ministry said that it will not compromise on any breach of regulations outlined in the Federal Constitution, whether intentional or otherwise, with regard to the “Negaraku”.
Meanwhile, on a related matter, Lau said he disagrees with PKR Youth chief Akmal Nasrullah Md Nasir’s suggestion that the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) should be abolished.
He said that the PTPTN is providing much-needed aid for students from poor families to pursue their higher education.
“If you abolish the PTPTN, students from poor families would not be able to afford higher education, thereby leaving them no choice but to stop their education.
“We still need the PTPTN to help (them) and as the ruling government, Pakatan Harapan should always remember that its primary duty is to the people,” he added.
In his PKR Youth Congress policy speech, Akmal said that the agency – which offers federal study loans – accumulates public debt totalling RM3 billion annually and has become a greater liability than 1MDB.
