We can’t act against ‘racist’ HM, says district officer

Unless and until a federal directive is issued, headmaster who called parents of schoolchildren 'pariahs' during assembly remains scot-free

JAWI: The district education office here can only probe into accusations of racism against a headmaster if and unless there was a federal directive.

District education officer Mohd Ghazali Abu Bakar said his department could not simply investigate the allegations on its own without such directive.

“It’s an administrative procedure,” he told FMT.

Ghazali was responding to police reports lodged against SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman headmaster Ng Tong Koang, 56, for allegedly using the word ‘pariah’ during assembly.

Ng has allegedly used the word on Monday to tick off parents of the schoolchildren for regularly making a prohibited U-Turns outside the school.

“I have been telling your parents not to make the illegal U-Turns. Why are your parents not listening? “Are your parents pariahs?” Ng allegedly asked the stunned children.

Separate reports were lodged at the Nibong Tebal police station in the past two days by state MIC Youth chief J Dhinagaran and Hindraf Makkal Sakti’s Nibong Tebal deputy chief P Murugan.

Ghazali explained that the federal education department, acting on press reports, would issue directives, if need be, to district departments to probe any such incidents.

“The district office then would act on the directive and investigate. We will recommend appropriate action based on our findings,” he said.

Shocked by allegations

His department has yet to receive such a directive but Ghazali assured a thorough investigation once a directive had been issued, which he expects to be soon.

Ghazali nevertheless said he was shocked by the allegations against Ng especially when a federal circular recently cautioned principals and teachers against racial controversies.

Ng, in the meantime, had already offered a public apology before teachers and pupils over the incident at a special assembly on Tuesday morning.

On Monday evening, Ng had also apologised to MIC state youth chief Dhinagaran and four other party colleagues for uttering the disparaging word.

Ng told the MIC team, when they met him at his school office, that he did not mean to insult Indians or any other community for that matter.

However, Ng’s apology, was not accepted by Hindraf Makkal Sakti’s Murugan, who said the headmaster could have used any other word to chide the parents.

He demanded the education authorities take stern action the principal.

“Ng’s use of the pariah word is a direct consequence of Interlok,” said Murugan. - FMT