By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 30, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 — SMK Convent Bukit Nanas (CBN) has a Christian headmistress again, after the Education Ministry caved in to the wishes of school’s Catholic owners following a highly-publicised row.
“Yes, the candidate we named, Mystrical Rose Fernandes, reported for work last week,” Sister Rosalind Tan, the mother provincial of the Sisters of the Infant Jesus (IJ) Convent who own the prestigious mission school, told The Malaysian Insider today.
Fernandes, who is a Catholic, previously headed SMK Convent Sentul, which is also owned by the IJ Sisters, and SMK St Gabriel’s in the city, which is owned by the Anglican Church.
She replaces Datin Seri Zavirah Shaari, who was also newly posted to head CBN. Zavirah was taking over from the previous principal, Ann Khoo, who has since retired.
Tan, who is also on the school’s board of governors, said she had not received any letter from the Education Ministry informing them of the latest switch.
She found out only because Fernandes stopped by the Malaysian Catholic Education Council (MCEC) office to inform them of her new posting.
A spokesman from the MCEC, who asked not to be named, confirmed that Fernandes had reported last Friday.
“As their ‘norms’ go, the candidate receives the letter of appointment; we hear nothing, see nothing, and if it suits them, we (MCEC office) get a call. This is very, very seldom,” Tan said.
“Upon receiving their letter of appointment, they report for work in the school. If it is our candidate they will come by and see us. If it is their candidate, we will only know if someone in the school informs us,” she added, referring to the communication between the Education Ministry and the Catholic mission authority.
Fernandes, who was most recently posted to SMK Seri Ampang as its new head, was redeployed to CBN effective December 20 following a public furore raised by the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam earlier this month.
In an open statement published by Catholic newspaper The Herald, Pakiam highlighted that Zavirah had not been on a list submitted early this year by the mission school authority. He said the decision breached a previous government policy in the 1970s for “maximum consultation” with Christian mission schools nationwide in a revised report by the Royal Commission on the Teaching Services, West Malaysia.
The archbishop added that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was the education minister in 1976, had repeated and affirmed the pledge in 1998 in a trip to Kota Kinabalu, to consult mission school authorities over the choice of school heads and teachers.
There are over 400 Christian mission schools nationwide.
Catholics, who make up nearly one million of the country’s 28 million total population, have founded some 250 such schools, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s alma mater, St John’s Institution, which neighbours CBN.
#1 by SENGLANG on Friday, 30 December 2011 - 4:14 pm
The BN is not sincere as far as education is concern. They have promised that chinese primary schools are being safe guard but after 40 years the same issues of insufficient teachers surface year in and year out.
the chinese deputy education minister who is normally come form MCA just like actor and act along year in and year out.
BN never sincere to ensure that what the the Chinese primary schools are being given the assistance. the more problems they the better to them
the issue on the appointment of HM above is the same they are testing the water and make life difficult for all
they want to test what is the response and then they revert the decision so that they can claim they are listening to the people wish. they write the play and they are just the actors . they want to make each simple issue a political issue that they can look like they are people friendly and they have people in their heart. if they are sincere. the above will not be an issue at all. it should not happen in the first place.
#2 by yhsiew on Friday, 30 December 2011 - 4:19 pm
Long live people power!
#3 by Cinapek on Friday, 30 December 2011 - 5:19 pm
“:……we hear nothing, see nothing, and if it suits them, we (MCEC office) get a call. This is very, very seldom,” Tan said.”
In my most generous mood, I will say that those little napoleons in the Education office are feeling “merajuk” for having lost face in this showdown. Less generous I will say they are just a bunch of arrogant twits who does not even know how to behave with grace and humility. And such people find it even more difficult to swallow their pride when they are caught out in their nefarious acts.
But CBN, how much longer can you hold out? You must be running out of suitable candidates soon especially when the teaching service is now gradually being dominated by one race. In time to come you will be lucky if you can find a good head who can rise above religious bigotry and view the nurturing of young minds more important than trying to impose their religious beliefs on others. If not you might end up like the one in Kulai Johor who told her young students of other races and faiths to go back where their ancestors came from.
#4 by dagen on Friday, 30 December 2011 - 5:54 pm
Oooooh CBN stepped on mooo’s big toe. That is fatal. Mooo has done it before in johore, I read somewhere. He has no problem doing it again now. He will surely cause the grounds of CBN to be acquired, compulsorily. He will retaliate. Watch it.
#5 by yhsiew on Friday, 30 December 2011 - 6:03 pm
CBN finally gets its head of choice because GE13 is coming mah.
CBN is lucky this time because of GE13.
#6 by monsterball on Friday, 30 December 2011 - 6:06 pm
When they are caught…they are like dogs with tail curled in….behaving nice and obedient.
They cannot afford to loose any votes..but their race and religion dirty politics will to the work…chasing voters away from BN…without oppositions help.
Defy Almighty…HE will work in mysterious ways…to help the poor and helpless.
Najib does not care he was educated in a Christian school at all.
He love dirty politics.
#7 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Friday, 30 December 2011 - 6:48 pm
All’s well that ends well…..
But really all this hullabaloo need not have arisen… so much ado about nothing because some civil servants have forsaken the practice of consultation.
#8 by boh-liao on Friday, 30 December 2011 - 11:57 pm
Did MCA, Gerakan, SUPP, etc CLAIM dat it’s through their DEMAND dat their tai kor UmnoB finally agreed 2 appoint a new new principal?
Now UmnoB/BN DEMAND pay back time fr Christians or Catholics
NR REMINDED 1 n all: I give U, U give me, OK! UmnoB/BN rule, OK!
#9 by k1980 on Saturday, 31 December 2011 - 8:58 am
After bn has won the 13 GE, Mystrical Rose Fernandes will be transferred back to her original school, and the head of the Club Obedient Wives (COW) will become the new CBN head
#10 by Comrade on Saturday, 31 December 2011 - 9:01 am
“I help you, you help me”
Umno’s usual vote fishing way
Truth has set more people free
BN must be voted out come polling day
#11 by rockdaboat on Saturday, 31 December 2011 - 1:46 pm
Anything that is good, they want to have a hand in it! They come in, they take over and they destroy everything because they could not handle. This is their “shiok sendiri” mentality.
“As their ‘norms’ go, the candidate receives the letter of appointment; we hear nothing, see nothing, and if it suits them, we (MCEC office) get a call. This is very, very seldom,” Tan said.
“Upon receiving their letter of appointment, they report for work in the school. If it is our candidate they will come by and see us. If it is their candidate, we will only know if someone in the school informs us,” she added, referring to the communication between the Education Ministry and the Catholic mission authority.”
What arragonce, all these inferior products of N_P!!!
Yes, their candidates will creep into people’s house quietly like a mouse and hoping that they can get away with it!
#12 by waterfrontcoolie on Sunday, 1 January 2012 - 7:14 am
When you have political agenda on education, quality is not the main concern; only politically approved objectives are their concern; hence any school hedas that are politocally freindly is accepted. Headmasters are the leading light in an education system, you can’t simply pick one because of political expediency. Down south heads are picked after close scrutinization and they are paid well for that responsibilty. Here,anyone with the connection will do! We certainly cannot prevent Malaysians from thinking that we do not have a good system otherwise we won’t have so many unemployable graduates! This is the conclusion. Though Malaysia spends among the highest in education every year but except for those who could compete in the open international market, those local unemployed graduates become the point for comparison. All these come about because, the BN Gomen actually only pay lip-service to the system; they are more intersted in the money making aspect of the education policy: like the text books to be used, and those annualy material yo be bought!
#13 by raven77 on Sunday, 1 January 2012 - 11:34 pm
CBN….you got padang or not…if you have…you are a gonner….Kl Tower 2 will soon be built on it…..