Eco-warrior principal to continue his environmental efforts after transfer

Sungai Ara Tamil Primary School (SJKT Sungai Ara) principal Sangga Sinnayah has been transferred to another school in Bayan Lepas, Penang, but said he will continue his efforts to raise awareness about ecological and environmental issues wherever he is.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, Sangga (photo) said he accepted the transfer as he was told by the state education department that it was a normal reshuffle.

"I am also aware that certain quarters are not happy with the activities I have been organising in the school.

"I have come to know of dissatisfied parents who lodged complaints about me, and I am also aware that certain people in the state government are not happy with my support for activities opposing the (land) reclamation (in Penang)," he said.

Sangga, 57, received a "last minute" notice of transfer to the Bayan Lepas Tamil Primary School (SJKT Bayan Lepas) yesterday and has to report to the school on Monday.

He is retiring in two and a half years, and deeply cherishes SJKT Sungai Ara, where he has worked for the past eight years.

The school shot to fame when Education Minister Maszlee Malik visited in May.

Maszlee was impressed with the school for trying to follow the Finnish school model, which the minister holds in high regard. The minister has plans to emulate the system in the country's national schools.

However, SJKT Sungai Ara school was also in the limelight when a local councillor expressed concern that some students joined an anti-climate protest in April this year, and the Education Department was asked to probe the matter.

SJKT Bayan Lepas has only 80 students while SJKT Sungai Ara has about 150 students.

Sangga said SJKT Bayan Lepas may not have land to spare for a school farm, which the principal successfully developed in the Sungai Ara school.

"But the Bayan Lepas school is near the proposed reclamation area where we can raise the students’ awareness about environmental issues, and there are many other ecological activities we can carry out besides farming," he said.

It is learnt that Sangga had made a personal appeal to Maszlee (above) during his visit, to ask Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to review the building of a six-lane highway dubbed the Pan Island Link Highway, which would be close to the SJKT Sungai Ara.

Meanwhile, Sangga said he is happy to have contributed much to SJKT Sungai Ara and will continue to do the same at the new school.

He noted that under his guidance, the Sungai Ara school won a special prize in the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (Seameo)-Japan Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Awards which was supported by Seameo and Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in cooperation with Unesco’s Asia Pacific regional bureau.

This year, Sangga was the recipient of the Penang Environmental Stewardship Award by the Penang Green Council.

"My last contribution to this school was having the United Nations recognise my work. I have been invited to the Malaysian Sustainable Development Goals Summit 2019 next week to give my input.

"I will regard my transfer to the Bayan Lepas school as a positive move.  I expect some of my Sungai Ara students to request for a transfer to join me there," he added.

When contacted, Penang executive councillor on education P Ramasamy said the state government is not privy to decisions made by the Penang Education Department.

"The state government does not have a hand in the transfer as we are not part of the decision making concerning transfers of teachers or principals," Ramasamy told Malaysiakini.

"We know he has done some good activities in his school, especially those concerning the environment.

"However, we also heard that some parents have lodged complaints about the principal and he is being investigated for the matter," Ramasamy added. - Mkini