By Rahmah Ghazali - Free Malaysia Today
SERI KEMBANGAN: Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today distanced himself from the controversy surrounding the two school heads who allegedly uttered racial remarks to their students.
Muhyiddin, who is also deputy prime minister, said his ministry had no jurisdiction on disciplinary matters involving "senior government officials above the pay grade 48".
He said since the school heads possessed grades "that are quite high", only the Public Service Department (PSD) could act against them.
"These are rules. The minister cannot make the decision because the jurisdiction is with the PSD. If I am not wrong, these principals' grades are between 48 and 52. So this should be decided by a disciplinary board headed by the PSD secretary-general," he said.
According to Muhyiddin, his ministry had done its part by conducting an investigation into the allegations.
"To my knowledge, we have handed it (the reports) to the secretary-general of PSD so that they can take the necessary action. That is their jurisdiction. I have already announced this, so just wait for whatever decision they want to make," he said.
Last month, the principal of SMK Bukit Selambau in Kedah had drawn flak when he told a group of Chinese students “to go back to China” when he spotted them having breakfast at the school canteen during the fasting period.
Although it was reported that he was "temporarily suspended" following public pressure, he was however reassigned to the district education office in Kuala Muda/Yan, Sungai Petani, for a week.
Prior to that, the principal of SMK Tengku Abdul Rahman Putra in Johor had ignited a firestorm of protests for making racial remarks when launching the school's Merdeka celebrations.
The principal, identified as Siti Inshah Mansor, was alleged to have said that Chinese students are not needed here and should return to China while the prayer strings tied around the necks and wrists of Indian students made them look like dogs.
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