Kabali culture infecting local student population: Rayer

BUTTERWORTH: The Kabali culture is rife in schools especially among Indian students, said Seri Delima assemblyman R. S. N. Rayer (pix).
He said there is a trend among school students who join gangs such as 04, 24, 08 and 36, where they pay protection money.
Rayer said the students will also undertake elaborate initiation rituals where they get their bodies tattooed with the symbols of these gangs.
"What happened in a school in Klang last week is actually a manifestation of the 'Kabali' culture which is spreading silently like wild fire at an alarming rate, especially among Indian students in secondary schools.
"The movie although a hit starring Superstar Rajnikanth, shockingly promotes negative elements in society," Rayer said in a statement today.
Rayer said it was irresponsible for Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid to say the school should expel all the boys who were arrested in the incident.
"Expelling them from school would only contribute to another vicious cycle of unemployment and an increase in crime as these boys would resort to robbery, and drug peddling as a source of income, as history and statistics have shown," he said.
Rayer is urging Mahdzir and Deputy Education Minister Datuk P. Kamalanathan to set up a special task force to rid schools of the culture of joining secret societies, especially among Indian students.
"I also urge the government to seriously reconsider the invitation extended by Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak) during his recent visit to India for the filming of a Kabali sequel in Malaysia as this movie does more harm than good.
"Instead the government should encourage the local Indian film industry by supporting local Indian directors and artistes to produce movies which would promote the positive traits and values of Malaysians such as unity, courtesy, cultural diversity, respecting their elders and so on," he said.