Leave kids alone, Umno told

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Association for Adolescent Health (MAAH) has urged political parties to stop dragging children into politics.

Commenting on a speech at the Umno general assembly, MAAH vice president Dr Mymoon Alias said children were not in the mental stage to understand politics.

On Thursday, during the debate on the Umno presidential address, Umno Youth exco Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya said the party should target its membership drive at young people, including pupils at government-run kindergartens.

Dr Mymoon said political organisations should not exploit children’s innocence and poison their minds.

“Children are innocent and they tend to believe anything people say,” she said.

Instead, she added, they should be taught moral and ethical values so that they would grow into good adults.

“As a doctor and a parent, I strongly disagree that political parties should spread their wings that far.”

Fathul Bari’s suggestion also drew fire from Bukit Lanjan state assemblywoman Elizabeth Wong.

“Is Umno so desperate that they have to involve kids in politics?” she said.

Referring to some of the religious rhetoric at the Umno assembly, she said she would not be surprised if the proposed indoctrination of children were to be carried out within a framework of bigotry.

“Are they trying to build hatred against the non-Muslims at that tender age?”

She also speculated that if Umno were to take Fathul Bari’s proposal seriously, the kindergartens would be asked to teach children to hate opposition figures by portraying them as enemies of the state.

She said it would be a “totally illogical and illegal move” to expose children to politics.

“Leave the kids alone. Let them enjoy their childhood.”