The significance of this year's Teachers' Day celebration

On June 25th, Chief Minister Musa Aman personally delivered prizes to the outstanding students of the teachers' day greeting card design competition among Chinese primary schools in the Kota Kinabalu area. Many Bumiputra students also took part in the competition. The Chief Minister's presence at the ceremony was significant in two ways:

1: It shows appreciation and recognition of the lofty moral philosophy which underlies the Chinese people's deep respect for the teachers.

2: It shows his commitment and support for Chinese education that has a long history.

Ever since the Chinese immigrants arrived in Southeast Asia, they have endured a few hundred years of struggle to live and to build their livelihood and economy, and all this while they never neglected education for their young. No doubt many of their indigenous compatriots are familiar with the way the Chinese people started from scratch, toiled diligently and strived for a better tomorrow. But, perhaps few understand why the Chinese people lay so much stress on education and preserving their traditional culture.

One of the main reasons is because many non-Chinese lack understanding of the depth of Chinese cultural traditions. What they see are just some outward manifestations such as the Chinese scripts and language and traditional cultural performances like the lion dance during Chinese New Year celebration and other festivities.

It is understandable why our indigenous compatriots have only a superficial understanding of things Chinese. This is because the Chinese race and their culture comes down through 5000 years of unbroken development, unlike equally ancient civilizations like Egypt, Greece and Rome which suffered numerous intrusions from outside which brought ethnic and cultural dislocations and influences.

Viewed in this light the Chinese and their culture are among the few that have endured relatively undisturbed through millennia. The Chinese are conscious of this long and unbroken heritage, which explains why they are so determined and resolute in their common efforts to preserve what they have inherited even to the point of appearing unbending and rigid.

Today Chief Minister Datuk Musa Haji Aman personally came to give away prizes at the teachers' day greeting card design competition. This has profound significance. As a non-Chinese and an indigenous person, he was already made aware by YB Datuk Dr. Yee and the Kota Kinabalu association of headmasters that this annual competition in conjunction with the teachers' day celebration is intended to remind the Chinese people what honour and respect they owe to their teachers in their community. The high esteem the community has for teachers is rooted in their traditional perception that teachers are the embodiments of the lofty ideals, ethics and moral precepts that they see in the rich Chinese cultural traditions.

The Chief Minister's presence at the prize giving ceremony to honour the teachers has greatly enhanced the occasion. In the context of a multi racial society, this means mutual understanding, respect and appreciation for each other's culture. Surely this can only bring good to the country.

Hopefully, such activities involving the Chinese and their indigenous compatriots will open a broad avenue to further enhance inter-communal understanding and respect for each other's cultural traditions and aspirations, and further promote peace and prosperity