PETALING JAYA, JULY 25- Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today expressed disappointment over the haste shown by Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan in closing the SK Seri Pristana canteen controversy without giving a full explanation.
Lim said such hastiness in closing the controversy would be seen as a cover-up unless Kamalanathan could explain why the parents were not informed that the canteen would be relocated to the shower room due to renovations.
Photos of non-Muslim children eating on makeshift tables set up in the school’s shower room, next to the toilets, went viral after a parent posted it on the net, generating a storm of protests.
Angry netizens poured scorn on the school management for their decision to discriminate against the non-Muslim children by forcing them to have their meals in the shower area during recess.
Lim said Kamalanathan should have done more than merely solving the problem by relocating the canteen out of the shower room.
“Solving the problem is one thing but punishing the one responsible is equally important to ensure that such incidents do not recur, ” said Lim.
The Bagan MP added that the public need to know how such incidents could have happened in the first place as it was humiliating for children to eat in a shower room that was converted into a makeshift canteen.
Strong reminder to civil servants
Lim said a strong message must be sent to the civil servants in reminding them to respect the sensitivities and rights of all communities.
“Failure to do so will only accelerate the negative perception that the sensitivities and rights of non-Muslims can be trampled upon without punishment.
“Such negative perception can easily turn to a feeling of victimisation by non-Muslims,” said Lim.
He cited an example on failure of the Barisan Nasional federal government to punish unapologetic Perkasa leaders for their extremist calls to burn the Malay Bibles and make anti-Hindu insults.
“DAP is also saddened by the pictures of policemen with heavy weapons standing guard outside the school in Sungai Buloh, holding back angry parents and their friends, ” he added.
Meanwhile, MIC Youth chief T Mohan urged the school administration not to create racial tension on the matter.
In a press statement today, Mohan said the core issue was using the changing room as canteen, and not of a Malay headmaster discriminating non-Malay pupils.
“There is no race or religion involved in this fiasco,” he said.
Mohan said by making Muslim schoolchildren and teachers “buka puasa” in the same place on the day the news first broke out looked like the school administration was trying to justify their action.
“Do not commit another wrong to justify a wrong committed earlier,” he said.
He added that an apology from the ministry was not enough in this matter.
“The school has committed a big mistake and those responsible must be punished,” he said.
Mohan said the ministry should conduct a thorough investigation since it was possible that other schools were also facing the same situation.
