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Monday, July 29, 2013

Of racism in the 'toilet canteen' and the haze

Of racism in the 'toilet canteen' and the haze
I am writing today about two issues that have got my gall: children eating in a shower room and the haze that has descended again upon us.
First, the totally unwise decision to ask non-Malay primary students to eat in a room where fellow pupils shower.
The headmaster of SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh is clearly guilty of a moment of indiscretion in closing the canteen during the fasting month despite the fact that 25 pupils were non-Malays who are not required to fast.
theSun reporters who had heard of the matter and went to the school were unceremoniously bundled out of the premises by a man they later identified as headmaster Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor.
Imagine the gall of the educationist to gather his teachers and break fast in the same shower room the day after the fiasco was uncovered by the media.
Two wrongs do not make a right!
I am sure the headmaster did not concertedly plan the sordid episode with his staff and only did it, all things being equal, because of a lack of rational thought about the matter.
We are all guilty of such indiscretions. But in Malaysia, we seem to be suffering from an inability to say sorry and move on when our indiscretions are uncovered.
I am sure angry parents would have been placated by an apology and a promise that the rights of the minority would be safeguarded by the school in the future.
But the headmaster went on to try and justify his actions and this got the goat of irate parents and other members of the public (14 police reports have been lodged against the school).
And then we had Deputy Education Minister 11 P. Kamalanathan wading into the issue with a righteous claim that the matter had nothing to do with race and religion.
I appreciate the fact that he is constrained by the delicate relationship between raced-based parties within the Barisan Nasional but this is not about race as he has patently stated.
If he choses to ignore the fact that all the complainants (parents) were from a particular race, then so be it. I am not saying that we should crucify the headmaster for a bad decision but that we need to call a spade a spade.
The non-Malay children were consigned to the shower room because of who they were.
The canteen repair, the replacement of a door, could have been done fast and on the weekend, had school authorities wanted to do so.
Kamalanathan, who is at the fore in this matter, should announce fresh guidelines on the matter so that episodes like this do not recur.
At this point in time, the debate has been between non-Malay parents and the school. I pray that it will not escalate and that calm and wisdom will prevail among all concerned.
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The second issue I am incensed about is the haze that is creating havoc once again in our beloved land.
I am totally fed up with the obnoxious annual export from Indonesia which never fails to make our eyes smart and our throats seize up at this time of the year.
I am nauseated by the explanations from the giant nation down south that come like clockwork, sometimes appearing nonsensical in their lack of rational argument to explain why citizens of a friendly neighbour like Malaysia have to suffer through months of bad air.
I am equally repulsed by the manner in which Malaysian authorities continue to accept the placatory excuses mouthed by the Indonesians who seem to think that we are making an unnecessary fuss about the haze.
The Singaporeans, known for their diplomatic stance on most matters, let loose at their immediate neighbour this time around as smoke got into their eyes like never before.
The tired replies from Indonesian authorities are wearing my patience thin, as they are with most people I have spoken to since the current episode began nearly two months ago.
It has been like this for the past 16 years since the smog drifted from across the Straits of Malacca to choke all Malaysians alike, regardless of rank or status.
When will this end? Or will it ever end?
I pray that we do not end up like Beijing where visibility of more than 200m is considered a gift of God and a day without smoke getting in your eyes is a gift of the government.
Such was the case last month when residents were told to stay indoors after the smog level exceeded the World Health Organisation limit by 20 times.
I landed in Beijing in 2003 to cover a visit by then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and was appalled by the smog that welcomed his team and the media.
It was business as usual for the Chinese who did not bat an eyelid about the fact that they were breathing in unhealthy air and expected visitors to do the same.
I hightailed it out of the capital city barely seven days later thanking God for not extending my stay there.
Unfortunately, I cannot leave Malaysia to stay elsewhere as this is where my home is.
I hope that Indonesia will stop exporting its haze to us and develop a political will to get to the crux of the matter – fast. Enough of talk shops about how Asean unity will save the day and air.
Malaysians want fresh air between April and August next year. No more stale excuses.
- theSundaily

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