KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Denying that it was a “misunderstanding”, parents want the Education Ministry to take stern disciplinary action against the Johor school head accused of spouting racist slurs, claiming that it was not the first incident.
One parent even alleged the ministry was trying to “cover up” the case at SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra in Kulai.
“Parents are very unhappy that the authorities are citing misinformation and misunderstanding that the headmistress had made the remarks.
“It wasn’t a misunderstanding. Even the teachers have given their statement to the police. The teachers confirmed what has been reported by the students,” a parent told The Malaysian Insider, refuting Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom’s response yesterday that the case was just a misunderstanding and had been resolved.
“If it was, then why did the state Education Department tell her to make an open apology to the non-Malay students and teachers?” he asked, and related that principal Siti Inshah Mansor had been loudly booed by the student population in the attempt.
“The government is trying to cover it up,” claimed the 46-year-old business consultant, who asked not to be named, fearing repercussions to his job.
The father of two said parents were mulling setting up a formal parent action group to pressure Putrajaya into action.
“Some disciplinary action must be taken. Even if not dismissal, at least demote her. If just transfer her out, it won’t solve the problem.
“She has done in before. In her previous school, she called Indians Nigerians,” he said, claiming Siti Inshah, who was formerly the principal of SMK Kelapa Sawit — another school in the same Kulai district — had been transferred out following similar complaints.
The police are currently investigating the case under section 504 of the Penal Code for provocation which carries a maximum imprisonment of two years, a fine or both.
A total of 17 complaints have been lodged with the police against the principal so far.
A copy of one report made last week and recently put up on the Malaysia-Today website listed several racist and derogatory remarks allegedly made by Siti Inshah, including likening Indian students wearing prayer threads on their person to dogs and ordering dissatisfied ethnic Chinese and Indian students to “return to China or India”.
Part of the lengthy police report lodged by a 16-year-old student alleged: “She gave the example of owning a Proton Saga with two passengers who are Munusamy and Chong. Munusamy and Chong were only passengers. They cannot claim any right to the car. This is the same as Malaysia in which the non-Malay students are passengers.”
Similar “racist” allegations have been reported made by senior civil servants, most notably by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s then-political aide Datuk Nasir Safar in January this year at a 1 Malaysia event, and signal a rise in racial tensions among Malaysia’s multicultural society.
One parent even alleged the ministry was trying to “cover up” the case at SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra in Kulai.
“Parents are very unhappy that the authorities are citing misinformation and misunderstanding that the headmistress had made the remarks.
“It wasn’t a misunderstanding. Even the teachers have given their statement to the police. The teachers confirmed what has been reported by the students,” a parent told The Malaysian Insider, refuting Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom’s response yesterday that the case was just a misunderstanding and had been resolved.
“If it was, then why did the state Education Department tell her to make an open apology to the non-Malay students and teachers?” he asked, and related that principal Siti Inshah Mansor had been loudly booed by the student population in the attempt.
“The government is trying to cover it up,” claimed the 46-year-old business consultant, who asked not to be named, fearing repercussions to his job.
The father of two said parents were mulling setting up a formal parent action group to pressure Putrajaya into action.
“Some disciplinary action must be taken. Even if not dismissal, at least demote her. If just transfer her out, it won’t solve the problem.
“She has done in before. In her previous school, she called Indians Nigerians,” he said, claiming Siti Inshah, who was formerly the principal of SMK Kelapa Sawit — another school in the same Kulai district — had been transferred out following similar complaints.
The police are currently investigating the case under section 504 of the Penal Code for provocation which carries a maximum imprisonment of two years, a fine or both.
A total of 17 complaints have been lodged with the police against the principal so far.
A copy of one report made last week and recently put up on the Malaysia-Today website listed several racist and derogatory remarks allegedly made by Siti Inshah, including likening Indian students wearing prayer threads on their person to dogs and ordering dissatisfied ethnic Chinese and Indian students to “return to China or India”.
Part of the lengthy police report lodged by a 16-year-old student alleged: “She gave the example of owning a Proton Saga with two passengers who are Munusamy and Chong. Munusamy and Chong were only passengers. They cannot claim any right to the car. This is the same as Malaysia in which the non-Malay students are passengers.”
Similar “racist” allegations have been reported made by senior civil servants, most notably by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s then-political aide Datuk Nasir Safar in January this year at a 1 Malaysia event, and signal a rise in racial tensions among Malaysia’s multicultural society.
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