Johor Education department director must resign (VIDEO)

The Johor Education Department attempted to transfer the husband of PAS Tenang candidate Normala Sudirman from Tenang to Johor Bahru because he could not "control his wife".

Normala's husband Makrof Abd Mutalib was given no warning but was told to relocate to Johor Bahru within 24 hours.

When the couple protested, the order to transfer was retracted.

Makrof, who has been teaching in a school in Tenang for the past 13 years said, “The headmaster said it was because I can't control my wife.”

Makrof claimed that the headmaster had alluded to his wife’s involvement in politics and speculation that she would be a candidate in the January 30 by-election. Makrof also confirmed that there had been no official reason stated in the transfer notice.

Makrof said, “We confronted the district education department. Normala had resigned (as a teacher). They should not act like this. If they won't retract it, we would take it to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission or call a press conference. They then retracted it.”

Normala, a teacher at a school in nearby Segamat, had tendered her resignation to be a full-time party worker.

According to Makrof, the transfer notice was a form of discrimination against teachers whose family members are supportive of the opposition. He is supported in his claim by the Johor PAS information chief Mazlan Aliman who said that the instruction from the Johor Education Department was politically motivated.

If that action was not bad enough, in the previous week, the Johor Education Department director Markom Giran had been caught on video, openly canvassing for support for BN among teachers in Tenang.

There was no opportunity for denial as this man’s despicable action had been recorded and uploaded onto YouTube.

The clip shows the Johor education chief pleading to the teachers present “to help the government win the by-election”.

If that was not bad enough, the video shows how Markom tells the teachers to organise motivational programmes for their students, after which they are required to meet with the parents of the students to identify whether they are supporters of BN or the opposition. Watch this video:

According to Markom, there were 15 schools in the Tenang constituency and that the Education Department planned to organise motivational programme for pupils so that all teachers would be able to meet with the students’ parents.

He then devised a colour coded system to identify the politicis of each set of parents: “In meeting the parents and the house occupants, you shall classify them based on four colours - green, blue, grey and white. Green is for hardcore opposition, blue for BN. For grey (fence-sitters), we want you to inform us so that we can try to change them to blue.”

A police report detailing Markom's campaigning has been lodged by Johor PAS deputy commissioner Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Markom’s position is untenable. He has abused the trust placed in him and has used the education department, the schools, the teachers and the machinery and funding of the state, to influence and manipulate voters.

Markom has also acted irresponsibly and in a threatening manner to transfer a person simply because of his wife’s political leanings. This is intimidation and harassment. It is also sheer arrogance.

Markom is a disgrace to his profession. He lacks integrity and is not fit for purpose.

Markom Giran must go. If he will not tender his resignation, the Union of Teachers should demand that he resigns. Parents too should lodge complaints with the Minister of Education.

Isn’t it about time the Education Department is ‘educated’? - Malaysia Chronicle