UNIMAP orders probe on Zakir Naik question, mum on other provocative questions
PUCHONG: Under heat over a controversial question in its Ethnic Relations test paper, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UNIMAP) ordered a probe on the matter citing public interest.
“An official statement will be issued once the investigation is concluded. For now, we urge the public not to cause any provocations,” said the university in a brief statement today.
UNIMAP added that it viewed the matter seriously as the university prides itself in having undergraduates from multi-cultural setting.
“We will also review the vetting system for this course to ensure that our lecturers are more sensitive towards people of various races and religions,” it said, urging the public to give it time to conduct its investigation.
Recently, social media users revealed a question posted on its paper, which touched on Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik.
The question is as follows:
“Zakir Naik is one of the icons of the Islamic world, he is very active in spreading true Islam and following the Quran and Sunnah of Rasulullah SAW. He is able to reason and to answer every question that is asked to him. However, in Malaysia, he is no longer allowed to deliver his preaching. In your opinion, as a Malaysian, why does this happen?”
The question provides several answers and more than one combination of answers can be chosen.
The options are:
1) Malaysians do not bother to receive information
2) Malaysians were sensitive and feel threatened for no reason
3) Malaysians just follow the crowd without verifying any information
4) Malaysians are ignorant about their own religion.
However, UNIMAP’s statement did not address other controversial questions posed in the test, which called Malaysian Indians as ‘dark-skinned people’ and those opposed to the Jawi calligraphy teaching in schools as people who were just showing-off their power.
By G Vinod
