'Audio recording proves Seri Pristana HM didn't apologise'

 

An audio recording of the meeting between the headmaster of SK Seri Pristana and parents of pupils will reveal that no apology was tendered, said a school staff member.

"All the papers got it wrong," said the staff member, who did not want to be named.

"The recording can prove that the headmaster did not apologise."

This was echoed by Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) chairperson Hussein Mohd Ariff, who was at the two-hour meeting on Monday.

"As far as I can recall, the headmaster did not apologise ... perhaps the parents misunderstood," Hussein told Malaysiakini.

Malaysian Tamilian Today secretary K Gunasekaran (left) yesterday claimed that parents had told him that the headmaster, Mohd Nasir Mohd Nooh, had apologised to them.

The primary school in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, became the subject of a public outcry when photographs appeared on Facebook, showing non-Muslim students eating in the shower room during recess.

Parents who highlighted the incident later complained that their children were being targeted by teachers, the headmaster and the police.

Hussein said Selangor education director Mahmud Karim had called PTA representatives, parents and the principal to the meeting to resolve the matter amicably.

“I’m not sure if the purpose of the meeting was to expect an apology. But the main agenda was for the headmaster to give an explanation to the parents and justify (what he did),” said Hussein.

Asked what explanation Mohd Nasir (right) had given for using a shower room as a makeshift canteen during Ramadan, Hussein refused to give details, saying that the meeting was a closed-door one.

“More importantly, the parents accepted the explanation and everybody was happy and agreed to move on,” he claimed.

‘Consensus on silence’

Hussein also said consensus had been reached by those present not to talk about the issue any more.

“Apparently, the parents promised this too,” he said, added that they had been calm throughout the session.

This was borne out when Malaysiakini contacted some of the parents involved - they refused to divulge details of the meeting.

One parent said she has “given up” on the matter.

“Enough comment, enough publicity. Give me a break, please,” she said, requesting anonymity.

Gunasekaran blamed the current pressure on parents on yesterday’s calls by NGOs for stern action against the headmaster, after saying that an apology alone was not enough.

“I’m not trying to stop NGOs from saying anything, but you must know what you are talking about and get the whole picture. If the parents are happy, we should just move on,” he said.