KUALA LUMP
UR, Sept 6 — DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today blamed Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for failing to act on reports of racism in the civil service over the past weeks.
Lim said that the move by the Education Ministry’s Director-General Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom in issuing a circular on August 26, warning that action would be taken against those “who made racist remarks” was irrelevant as it did not address the “real problem.”
“The Education Ministry’s latest circular to warn school principals and teachers against making racist remarks is irrelevant as it fails to address the real problems. Blaming the principals and teachers is merely an act of finding a scapegoat,” said Lim in a statement today.
Lim claimed that the warning should instead be directed to Muhyiddin, the education minister, for failing to act and condoning the racist remarks made by two school principals in Kulai, Johor and Kedah recently.
“Umno leaders should refrain from racist politics before pointing fingers to others. The buck should stop at Tan Sri Muhyiddin. If Muhyiddin continues to tolerate racist behaviour among Umno leaders and members, it is not surprising that it has infected the civil service, including school principals and teachers. Stern actions must be taken to resolve this problem, said Lim.
The Penang Chief Minister said that the Education Ministry’s move in issuing a circular reflected badly on the country’s education system, adding that principals, teachers and other school staff should themselves be aware that uttering racist remarks was wrong.
“By issuing the circular, it shows that something is seriously wrong with our education system. The principals, teachers and other school staff should already know a long time ago, even on the first day on their job that uttering racist remarks is wrong, illegal and against the basic principles of their vocation. It is such a shameful situation where teachers have to be reminded that racism is both wrong and bad. What will the students think?
“We have high hopes on our school principals and teachers. They are teaching our children to be good and responsible citizens. After 53 years of Merdeka, is this our education system’s greatest achievement?” said Lim.
The Najib administration has yet to announce whether it planned to punish Johor school principal Siti Inshah Mansor for allegedly uttering racial slurs.
Muhyiddin said last weekend that the buck was now in the hands of the “enforcement authority” to decide on what form of action to take against the Johor principal.
Before that, Muhyiddin had directed Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom to set up a task force to probe the incident.
Alimuddin had previously invited flak when he claimed shortly after the incident that it was merely a misunderstanding and had been settled between the principal and the school parents.
Siti Inshah entered the limelight recently after she allegedly told the SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman school assembly that the Chinese could go back to China and that the Indians looked like “dogs” when they wore their prayer strings.
“Muhyiddin should stop playing politics and seriously think of the impact on our multiracial country. Racism is beyond party politics; it is a cancer that can destroy all of us, regardless of one’s creed, colour and class,” said Lim.
Lim: Umno leaders should refrain from racist politics before pointing fingers to others.
Lim said that the move by the Education Ministry’s Director-General Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom in issuing a circular on August 26, warning that action would be taken against those “who made racist remarks” was irrelevant as it did not address the “real problem.”
“The Education Ministry’s latest circular to warn school principals and teachers against making racist remarks is irrelevant as it fails to address the real problems. Blaming the principals and teachers is merely an act of finding a scapegoat,” said Lim in a statement today.
Lim claimed that the warning should instead be directed to Muhyiddin, the education minister, for failing to act and condoning the racist remarks made by two school principals in Kulai, Johor and Kedah recently.
“Umno leaders should refrain from racist politics before pointing fingers to others. The buck should stop at Tan Sri Muhyiddin. If Muhyiddin continues to tolerate racist behaviour among Umno leaders and members, it is not surprising that it has infected the civil service, including school principals and teachers. Stern actions must be taken to resolve this problem, said Lim.
The Penang Chief Minister said that the Education Ministry’s move in issuing a circular reflected badly on the country’s education system, adding that principals, teachers and other school staff should themselves be aware that uttering racist remarks was wrong.
“By issuing the circular, it shows that something is seriously wrong with our education system. The principals, teachers and other school staff should already know a long time ago, even on the first day on their job that uttering racist remarks is wrong, illegal and against the basic principles of their vocation. It is such a shameful situation where teachers have to be reminded that racism is both wrong and bad. What will the students think?
“We have high hopes on our school principals and teachers. They are teaching our children to be good and responsible citizens. After 53 years of Merdeka, is this our education system’s greatest achievement?” said Lim.
The Najib administration has yet to announce whether it planned to punish Johor school principal Siti Inshah Mansor for allegedly uttering racial slurs.
Muhyiddin said last weekend that the buck was now in the hands of the “enforcement authority” to decide on what form of action to take against the Johor principal.
Before that, Muhyiddin had directed Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom to set up a task force to probe the incident.
Alimuddin had previously invited flak when he claimed shortly after the incident that it was merely a misunderstanding and had been settled between the principal and the school parents.
Siti Inshah entered the limelight recently after she allegedly told the SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman school assembly that the Chinese could go back to China and that the Indians looked like “dogs” when they wore their prayer strings.
“Muhyiddin should stop playing politics and seriously think of the impact on our multiracial country. Racism is beyond party politics; it is a cancer that can destroy all of us, regardless of one’s creed, colour and class,” said Lim.
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