Kedah-Penang History syllabus needs to be updated

ALOR SETAR - Kedah and Penang History textbook syllabus needs to be updated so that certain quarters will not misunderstand the history between the two states.

Kedah Religious, Education and Human Resource Committee chairman Datuk Najmi Ahmad said the statement made by Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor that Penang previously belonged to Kedah was based on facts obtained from past history.

However, he said there were certain parties who tried to alter the history according to their own understandings, which caused misunderstandings.

"There are parties who try to alter these historical facts according to their wishes, as the facts are as such.

"If we want to know the course of history or a civilisation, we have to study it based on its historical facts," he said after handing out SPM results at Dewan Maktab Mahmud today.

He said the syllabus needs to be updated and improved to ensure there is no confusion among future generations about the history involving these two states.

At the very least, there should be an improvement because sometimes the historical facts are sourced from everywhere before they are reviewed.

"As a result, it will cause confusion and misunderstanding of what actually happened behind the historical events," he said.

Previously, Sanusi had issued a controversial statement that Penang belonged to Kedah, which sparked various views on the issue.