Retract ‘bodoh sombong’ remark or get sued, Syed Saddiq told


Alfian Z.M. Tahir

Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, in a tweet, slams the Seni Khat Action Team over its opposition to the teaching of Jawi in vernacular schools. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, August 26, 2019.

SYED Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has been given 48 hours to retract his “bodoh sombong” (proud and arrogant) remark against an anti-khat group.

The Seni Khat Action Team (Sekat) said it will sue the youth and sports minister if he fails to withdraw the comment, made on Twitter last night.

“We were urging the Education Ministry to postpone the teaching of khat and hold a dialogue, but the minister (Syed Saddiq) chose to use inappropriate words to describe our intention,” said Sekat secretary Arun Dorasamy in a statement.

“The ‘bodoh sombong’ remark was made in bad taste, and as a minister, he should not have made such a statement publically. It has garnered thousand of ‘likes’ and portrayed us as anti-Islam.

“He should not have read only the title of the article published by a news portal. Instead, he should have read the full story before commenting.”

Yesterday, the group urged the ministry to postpone the teaching of Jawi, or the script on which khat calligraphy is based, to vernacular school pupils until there is a “clear” answer on the issue.

It said it wants a dialogue with the government, so that an amicable solution can be reached.

Arun said if Sekat’s demand is not met, it will convince parents to stop sending their children to school in protest.

Syed Saddiq responded by branding the group “bodoh sombong”.

“To prevent children from getting an education just because you are scared of three pages of Jawi, which isn’t even going to be tested in the exams, and is already made optional… You cannot get more ‘bodoh sombong’ than this.”

Arun challenged Syed Saddiq, a well-known debater, to spar over the khat controversy.

“Let’s have a debate. There will be no conditions for it.”

PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad, meanwhile, slammed Sekat’s idea of convincing parents to “boycott” schooling.

He said the group should not politicise education matters.

“Did they go to school? Why are they coming up with unreasonable ideas? They should encourage kids to attend, not skip, school.

“Let us all be rational. Education is not for you to politicise. This is not helping the future generation. This is bringing them down.”

Jelebu Umno division chief Jalaludin Alias said it is unreasonable for Sekat to call on parents to stop sending their children to school over the khat issue.

Khat has nothing to do with race or religion, and is only an art form, he said.

“There is no reason for children to skip school. (The idea) is a blow to both kids and their parents.

“The teaching of khat will be optional… it is not compulsory.

“It has nothing to do with race or religion, so stop making it as such.” – August 26, 2019.


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Comments


  • What are the odds that this stupid boy will run away from a debate? Quite high I think.

    Posted 4 years ago by Arul Inthirarajah · Reply

  • this boy is one of the biggest disapointment...other then black shoe and flying car of course.

    Posted 4 years ago by . . · Reply

  • Bosan with this Khat fiasco
    look...with some fews pages of Jawi wont convert people.. ok
    on top of that its optional...

    THE END ................

    I rather pet my cat

    Posted 4 years ago by Lan Lan · Reply

    • Well if a cross on any building would convert someone to Christian, so .........

      Posted 4 years ago by J w · Reply

  • Black Shoe Minister. Flying Car Minister. U-Turn Minister (SyedSaddiq). What a bunch of Ministers we have from Bersatu.

    Posted 4 years ago by Sidney Karan · Reply

  • Lan lan everything has a Begining n Ending. We non malays are not stupid we hv been cheated n fooled by the govt of the day all these Years. Muslims put Yourself in Our Shoe n see will u learn english mandarin punjabi tamil sanskrit urdu french or any other Language in schools if u muslims Will then there a Way otherwise is all total load of hypocrisy just to win votes. I was VERY HAPPY when TDM step down as PM but in GE 14 when he came back the Only thing strick my mind was THE DEVIL IS BACK IN ACTION TO ABUSE THE NON MALAYS AGAIN.

    Posted 4 years ago by Mindy Singh · Reply

  • Who is Bodoh Sombong as yourself tis question syed baby of tdm

    Posted 4 years ago by Mindy Singh · Reply