Najib says the authorities need to check the ‘facts’ before acting. — Picture by
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today the ruling bloc will not stand for racist remarks from anyone, in the prime minister’s first response to a heated debate surrounding two school heads for the past two weeks.
Najib said his administration must adopt a “zero-tolerance” policy towards racism and will take immediate action against those found to have made racial slurs.
“Our stand is not to tolerate any racist remarks by anyone. We must adopt a zero-tolerance policy not to play up racial issues,” he told some 400 people who turned up for the Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth Lab town hall meeting here.
Najib, however, cautioned that the authorities need to check the “facts” before acting as the issues could have been blown out of proportion.
“If indeed found to be racist, we will take action against them,” he said to loud cheers from the floor.
Earlier this month, two Malay school principals in Johor and Kedah were reported to have spewed racist words at their ethnic Chinese and Indian students and sparked a public furore.
The school heads of SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra in Kulai and SMK Bukit Selambau in Sungai Petani have since apologised but various parties are still calling for stern disciplinary action against the duo, including sacking.
Last Friday, Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin broke his elegant silence on the issue and directed Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom to set up a task force and probe the incidents.
Alimuddin had previously claimed the matter settled.
The deputy PM’s delayed reaction did not go unnoticed by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) politicians, who hammered the Najib administration for its perceived tolerance of racism. - The Malaysian Insider
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