SK Seri Pristana PTA chairman demands answers from school over latest controversy

SK Seri Pristana PTA chairman demands answers from school over latest controversy

BY YISWAREE PALANSAMY
August 28, 2013
Malaysian Insider
Latest Update: August 28, 2013 03:36 pm
 
The SK Seri Pristana Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) wants answers from the school on the allegations of intimidation against several pupils which saw three non-Muslim children being transferred out by their parents.

Claiming that they are in the dark over these transfers, PTA chairman Hussein Mohd Ariff told The Malaysian Insider that they will be meeting the school authorities tomorrow for a meeting.

It was reported yesterday that at least three non-Muslim pupils have left the Sungai Buloh school and 10 others are set to follow suit.

This seems to be the result of alleged intimidation following the makeshift shower-room canteen incident which went viral on Facebook.

The three who left earlier claimed they were intimidated and bullied by school authorities after the issue of non-Muslim pupils being ordered to have their recess in the school's shower-room surfaced.
It was also revealed that parents of 10 other non-Muslim pupils will be transferring their children out following the arrest of a parent for allegedly threatening the headmaster after he alleged that his daughter was photographed twice by a stranger in the school grounds.

Hussein expressed disbelief over these latest developments.

"This is all new to me. I expect the school will be informing me and my fellow committee members about these incidents on Thursday," he said in a text message to The Malaysian Insider.

"I don't understand why this issue has prolonged," said Hussein.

Non-governmental organisation Malaysia Tamilan Today Welfare Association national secretary K. Gunasegaran said the parents had resorted to pulling their children out of the school as they "have lost all faith in the school's headmaster and teachers".

"We don't see any other way as the pupils are being harassed and bullied in the school and it is all because their parents spoke up," he had said at a Press conference yesterday.

At present, there are 25 non-Muslim pupils among the 1,400 enrolled at the school.

At least 10 parents have lodged reports against the school on similar complaints of intimidation and bullying but police have said that there was no criminal intent and the matter was transferred to the education department.

A parent, V. Kumancan, was also arrested two days ago for allegedly threatening the school's headmaster, Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor (pic).

Kumancan  had allegedly gone to the school on July 25 at 2.30pm but he has since denied the accusation, saying that he was at work at that time.

The 31-year-old, who is currently out on police bail, is expected to be charged with criminal intimidation soon.

Kumancan himself lodged a report on July 30 against Mohd Nasir and the school for allegedly taking photographs of his 10-year-old daughter in school, alleging that such an incident had happened twice on July 29, four days after the shower-room incident was brought to light by its whistleblower Guneswari Kelly.

Guneswari has since transferred her daughter to a Tamil school after her nine-year-old was allegedly verbally abused by several teachers in the school. - August 28, 2013.

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