Mr Education Minister, are you powerless, heartless, or both?

Mr Education Minister, are you powerless, heartless, or both?

BY JENNIFER GOMEZ
August 06, 2013
Malaysian Insider
Latest Update: August 06, 2013 05:39 pm
The SK Seri Pristana issue is not over yet - there are new allegations that the whistleblower's daughter is being intimidated and bullied by schoolmates and teachers.

This has led DAP vice-chairman M. Kula Segaran (pic) to criticise Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyuiddin Yassin for his inaction and failure to go to the aid of whistleblower Guneswari Kelly's 9-year-old daughter.

The girl has allegedly been the target of abuse and is now ostracised after her mother posted on social media a picture of non-Muslim pupils eating in the school's changing room.

Kula Segaran said if nothing is done soon to address the problem, he will raise the matter in the coming Parliament session.

"I will ask in Parliament why Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should not be called a powerless and heartless education minister," Kula Segaran said in a statement.

He was referring to news reports that the headmaster, Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor, had gone to the school while he was said to be on leave and taken photographs of some non-Muslim students he suspected of leaking the news that they were told to have their meals in the changing room, near the toilets.

There was a public outcry after Guneswari posted the picture and it went viral on the Internet, forcing the education ministry to step in.

Guneswari later said that she had received threats - there were even threats to kidnap both of them.
She said her daughter is now depressed after being intimidated and bullied in school. Her schoolmates teased her, teachers berated her.

Kula Segaran, who is Ipoh Barat MP, said it was also reported that the girl had attempted to win back friends by giving away pencils and highlighters, but failed to do so.

"Anyone would have expected the education ministry to spring into action to stop the bullying of the pupils and punish the headmaster and teachers, but nothing like that has happened," he said.

Kula Segaran said that many members of the public were upset with the current situation.

"Many cannot believe that the teachers could be so unprofessional and cruel as to inflict such psychological cruelty and pain on Guneswari's daughter and are worried about the impact of the bullying on her," he added.

Kula Segaran said that last month he even insisted that the headmaster should be hauled up for his acts of intimidation.

He had also called for the education ministry to send a top official to address the issue of intimidation and bullying at the school assembly.

"Yet, the education minister has done nothing. Acts of intimidation, bullying and discrimination certainly cannot be trivial matters to the ministry," he pointed out. - August 6, 2013.

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