'Just carry on with Palestine Solidarity Week' - Puad Zarkashi tells Edu Ministry

JOHOR BAHRU - The Education Ministry has been urged not to succumb to any calls for the cancellation of Palestine Solidarity Week, scheduled to take place from today until Friday.

Umno supreme council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said that the ministry should not give in to the pressure to cancel it when the whole world was condemning the Zionist regime's atrocities towards the Palestinian people.

"Because of a few people, there are some people who are trying to take advantage and insist that the ministry cancel the Palestine Solidarity Week, which started today.

"The education ministry should not bow to the urge. The incident of students carrying toy weapons happened outside of Palestine Solidarity Week.

"At a time when the whole country and the world are condemning Israel's atrocities, there is no reason for Malaysians at all levels not to stand in solidarity with Palestinians, who are also denied the right to quality education," he wrote on Facebook today.

Yesterday, DAP reportedly urged the ministry to take disciplinary action against organisers who displayed violent and armed elements at schools linked to Palestine Solidarity Week.

Its secretary general, Anthony Loke, reportedly said that DAP opposes any form of violence, especially at school, involving students at a young age.

Recently, the Education Ministry was reported to organise the Palestine Solidarity Week from Oct 29 to Nov 3 with the aim of instilling human values, rights, and compassion among youths.

Apart from schools, the event also involves vocational colleges, matriculation colleges, and Teacher Education Institutes (IPG) across the country.

Previously, a picture of children holding toy weapons had gone viral and was linked to the Palestine Solidarity Week organised at schools.

Reportedly, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF), condemned the action and described it as'shocking and frightening'.

Several NGOs had also objected to the move to involve schools in holding Palestine Solidarity Week from Oct 29 to Nov 3.