MAKE ISLAMIC, MORAL EDUCATION COMPULSORY TO CHECK SOCIAL ILLS - SENATOR

KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 (Bernama) -- A member of the Senate Monday
suggested that Islamic Studies and Moral Education be made compulsory for
students to pass the Malaysian Certificate of Education (Sijil Pelajaran
Malaysia - SPM).

The SPM) is a national examination taken by all fifth-year secondary school
students in Malaysia.

Senator Nor Hayati Onn said religious knowledge and moral
values were two important elements to strengthen the young generation
spiritually.

She said social problems were serious problems faced by developed countries
like Australia and the United States such as abandoning of babies although there
were laws to deal with the offence.

"This shows that even with sex education and legislation, the problem still
exists. Hence, moral decadence needs to be addressed through character-building
and moral uplifting," she said when debating on the Tenth Malaysia Plan in the
Senate Monday.

Nor Hayati said young people who threw away their illegitimate babies
included those with high education or were university graduates.


"Despite their high level of education, they did not have the moral strength
to fight their lust.

"A knowledgeable society without high moral values will not free the
country of undesirable phemonena," she said.

She quoted police statistics which showed 485 reported cases of throwing
away of unwanted babies between 2004 and 2009 involving largely those aged 18 to
25.

-- BERNAMA