This racist school principal should be sent Siberia

After coming across this news with regard to a Kulai school principal making racist remarks to her students, I wonder what is happening to our institutions of learning. One thing I know for sure. It is going to the dogs. Back in the sixties when I was in secondary, I had Malay teachers who were really professionals, and they were the ones who not only taught me BM, but also mathematics and science [and in English too]. You would never hear them uttering racist remarks because it is something no one would have thought off. Racism in schools was a total alien culture then. Compared with this principal, my cikgus were truly a class of their own. Why can't our educators teach our children to love instead of hate and fear. Isn't it is clear by now that the crappy 1Malaysia thingy is not working any more. So sad, really.

Pakatan Rakyat leaders have condemned Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin for trying to sweep under the rug the latest outbreak of racism in the country involving a s school principal from his own Johor state who had derided Indians as dogs and said Chinese should go back to China.

“The behavior of the school principal is part of an overall problem not an isolated incident. Racism is rampant in Malaysia and racial polarization is even worse. If Muhyiddin fails to act, it not only shows his double standards but raises questions about himself,” PKR vice president Sivarasa Rasiah told Malaysia Chronicle.

“To a large extent, the root cause for such arrogant and ignorant behavior stems from the examples set by Umno leaders and sad to say Muhyiddin has been at the forefront of this sort of racial superiority policies rather than throwing his support behind 1Malaysia or some other unifying plan.”

Differentiating himself from his boss

Indeed, in his haste to differentiate himself from his boss, Prime Minister Najib Razak, Muhyiddin has put himself on a slippery pole that could topple any time, leaving him disowned and staring at nothing but wasted opportunities.

In the past weeks, the Umno deputy president has been busy going after MCA for stepping on Malay rights. Together with ultra-Malay NGO Perkasa, he has hit the headlines issuing warning after warning against the Chinese party for a proposal it made to Najib suggesting that the 30 percent Bumiputera equity target be reduced and open tenders be conducted as a matter of norm.

Not only did Muhyiddin immediately torpedo the MCA proposal, he did not consider any of its positive aspects which included preferential pricing to help Bumi firms tide through the open tenders or the possibility that the endemic corruption currently hidden behind the 30 percent quota could be reduced.

“Muhyiddin is again proving to fail 1Malaysia with inept handling of the racist remarks by the principal of SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra,” DAP information chief Tony Pua said in a statement.

“The 1Malaysia concept was further debased when Alimudin told the press yesterday that 'there is no change, the issue was only a misunderstanding and the problem has been solved between the principal and students', indicating also that the principal may not even be transferred as a punishment.”

Disdained even by his own Umno mates

Pua was referring to Education director-general Alimudin Dom for declaring the issue resolved after a cursory investigation to appease the public outcry that has erupted. Muhyiddin is also the Education minister.

Even Muhyiddin’s own colleagues in Umno, including Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, have expressed disdain for the remarks made by Hajah Siti Inshah binti Mansor.

“We cannot drag our feet or prevaricate on things like this. Blatant racism. By a school principal no less. And if proven that she said those things, she must be sacked and charged appropriately. She shouldn’t be allowed back pending the result of the investigation, which shouldn’t have to take long,” Khairy had tweeted.

Last week, at a Merdeka celebration held in her school, Siti Inshah had allegedly said in a speech:

“Pelajar-pelajar Cina tidak diperlukan dan boleh balik ke China ataupun Sekolah Foon Yew. Bagi pelajar India, tali sembahyang yang diikat di pergelangan tangan dan leher pelajar nampak seakan anjing dan hanya anjing akan mengikat seperti itu.”

“Chinese students are not needed and can go back to China or Foon Yew School. As for the Indian students, the prayer strings that they wear around their wrists and necks make them look like dogs and only dogs are chained up like that.”