SK Seri Pristana issues: Education Ministry and School Headmaster To Be Blamed for Prolonging The Controversy


Media Statement by M Kula Segaran, DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Ipoh Barat in Ipoh on Thursday, September 12, 2013

SK Seri Pristana issues: Education Ministry and school headmaster to be blamed for prolonging the controversy 

Second education minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh has yesterday asked the public to let slide the issue of pupils made to have their recess in a shower room in SK Seri Pristana.

"Malaysia is a multiracial country so we should be a forgiving society.

"If a mistake is made, we solve it the Malaysian way instead of blowing things up to the extent that it does not help anyone...We must learn to forgive and forget," he told Bahasa Malaysia daily Berita Harian.

Malaysians are very forgiving people but Idris Jusoh should know there are reasons why the SK Seri Pristana has not and cannot come to a closure.

He should also know that the issue has not ended is not because there are certain parties who are bent on "fuelling the issue further" as he alleged.

The whole issue has exploded with the meals in changing room incident which could have been resolved if the Education Ministry had immediately conducted a full probe and publish the probe results.

But the Education Ministry failed to do this.

Then when allegations surfaced that the headmaster has taken photos of the pupils, the teachers and students harassed some non Muslim students whose faces appeared in the meals in changing room photo that had gone viral in the social media, the Education Ministry again did nothing.

The Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin has chosen to remain silent till today despite my asking him whether he is heartless or powerless or both on the issue.

On JuIy 31, I had called for a top Education Ministry officer to be sent to address the school assembly to send the message that no bullying and intimidation of students is allowed, the Ministry did not take heed of my call.

So can the Ministry blame the parents and concerned parties from continuing to highlight their plight in the media?

Till today, even the headmaster has not even shown any sign of remorse or tendered an open, sincere apology.

So is it fair for Idris to ask the parents and public just to forgive and forget when the Ministry has failed to deal with the issues effectively, quickly and fairly  and the head master still thinks that he is right despite all allegations made against him and the school?

The two parties who should be blamed for prolonging the whole controversy are the Education Ministry and the headmaster.

I wonder if it is not because Parliament will be meeting soon where the Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin is expected to be quizzed that the meeting between parents, the headmaster and department would even take place a few days ago.

I agree that the school issue should come to a closure and it can only come to that with a full probe into all allegations made against the school and the headmaster.


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