KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry must carry on with the Palestine Solidarity Week as planned, said Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi.
He said a few bad characters had prompted some quarters to urge for the programme, scheduled to be held from today until Friday, to be cancelled.
"The ministry should not succumb to pressure.
"The event of students carrying replica weapons occurred outside the scheduled programme and did not comply with the set guidelines," he said in a posting on his Facebook page.
The video of the event showed one of the school staff in military-like gear carrying a toy gun as teachers and pupils in school uniform looked on.
During a time when the country and world condemned Israeli aggression , there was no reason for Malaysians not to show solidarity with Palestinians who had been denied quality education, he said.
Several parties, including politicians and parents groups had called for a review on the programme organised by the ministry.
The ministry had it would be holding a Palestine Solidarity Week involving all educational institutions under the ministry, including schools, vocational and matriculation colleges, as well as teacher training institutes (IPG) nationwide.
It said the programme primary objective was to instil humane values, encompassing human rights and courtesy, among students.