The New Straits Times today carried the following report:
Racial abuse teacher gets ‘a better deal’ By : V. Shankar Ganesh BANTING: It obviously pays to hurl racial abuse at students, going by what happened to the teacher who did so at a school here. The 35-year-old history teacher from SM Telok Panglima Garang was not only transferred to a smart school but to one located nearer her house. To add insult to injury, no disciplinary action was taken against her. It is understood that her letter of transfer stated that she was being transferred due to concerns for her security and not because she had committed an offence. Several parents and non-governmental rganizations gathered in front of the school yesterday demanding an explanation from the headmaster for letting her off with just a slap on the wrist. However, the headmaster refused to meet them, saying the matter was no longer related to the school since the teacher had been transferred. Coalition of Indian NGOs secretary G. Gunaraj said the transfer showed the teacher had got away scot-free. ”In fact, she even got a better deal. She is now in a better school and one that is nearer to her house.” He said this set a dangerous precedent as others may think they too can get away scot-free uttering racial slurs. He said the Education Ministry should be serious in tackling the issue as what the teacher had done could affect racial harmony.
This is the latest episode which is marring the 51st Merdeka Anniversary celebrations in less than three weeks time, highlighting the many failures in nation-building despite the government budgeting tens of millions of ringgit for this occasion.
The Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein should explain to Parliament, the nation and the voters of Permatang Pauh why the Education Ministry is condoning the unforgivable misbehaviour of a history teacher who repeatedly made racist, derogatory and even unprintable slurs against Indian students and the Indian community in class.
By giving the delinquent teacher a “better deal” for her disgraceful misbehaviour, the Education Ministry is sending out a wrong and completely unacceptable message to all teachers as well as making a total mockery of the legitimate protests of the parents and the Coalition of Malaysians Indian NGOs who had protested against the teacher’s misconduct.
Or is Hishammuddin just unfit to demand that teachers should be exemplary model Malaysians to the new generation of students rising above race and religion when he himself has failed so miserably on this score with his three “keris-wielding” episodes at the Umno Youth general assemblies, showing utter insensitivity to the sensitivities of a plural Malaysian society and which is acknowledged by UMNO and Barisan Nasional leaders as a major cause for the Barisan Nasional defeats in the March general election and “political tsunami”?
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