KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 ― A Malay-Muslim coalition called Gabungan NGO Islam dan Melayu Tanah Air (Gabung) said today it has to postpone its forum on jawi following advice to do so amid a heated political climate.
Its founder, actress and ardent Datuk Seri Najib Razak supporter Ellie Suriaty Omar, said the forum dubbed the Forum Mendalami Isu Jawi, was intended to provide Malaysians with a better understanding on the jawi script.
“Our intention is to bring down the heat as they say on the jawi issue. We wanted to hold the forum in an academic format but also in an informal and relaxed way. Which is why we were excited and looking forward to the forum,” she told a press conference.
“But the recent issue involving criticism by certain parties on a Chinese New Year decoration at a school in Puchong had led several people advising me to postpone the forum. They said the timing was not right and better that we conduct the forum at a later date.
Ellie, however, did not disclose which persons or parties had advised her to do delay the event originally slated to take place on January 12 at the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
“We think it is unfair to relate us to the issue as we have nothing to do with the matter but we understand why certain people are concerned,’’ she added.
Ellie stressed that the forum was intended to provide a clear view on jawi, and assured that there will be no provocation or any intention to carry a political, racial or religious agenda.
The decision came after the controversial threat by Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) vice-president and lawyer Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz against SMK Pusat Bandar Puchong (1) to take down its Chinese New Year decoration.
The forum would have included panelists such as Malay linguistic expert and Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka former director-general Datuk Awang Sariyan, principal fellow at Unversiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Ethnic Studies Professor Teo Kok Seong, Retired Educators Association President Datuk Raof Husin, constitutional law expert Hafilah Musa, as well as Malaysian Muslim Students Coalition’s (Gamis) president Saifullah Baiduri.
Saifullah had last month warned that the bloody riots of May 13, 1969 may return as long as Dong Zong still exists, and following that held a rally in protest of the Chinese educationist group despite police’s warning not to do so.
