Kit Siang: Najib, ministers ‘silent’ on Orang Asli tragedy

Even with the discovery that two of the missing children, Mirsudiar Aluj and Norieen Yakob, were ‘skin and bones’, Najib and Mahdzir and other ministers have not shown any interest or concern.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid and other ministers were totally indifferent and unconcerned, which was why they never breathed a word about the SK Pos Tohoi tragedy although five of the seven Orang Asli schoolchildren have perished, charged DAP elder statesman Lim Kit Siang in a statement from Tunis, North Africa.

“Even with the discovery that two of the missing children, Mirsudiar Aluj, 11, and Norieen Yakob, 10, were ‘skin and bones’, Najib and Mahdzir and the other ministers had not shown any interest or concern.”

Other Prime Ministers, Education Ministers and Ministers would have already made site visits to SK Pos Tohoi in Gua Musang, said Lim who is also DAP Parliamentary Leader and Gelang Patah MP. “When will Najib and Mahdzir and the other Ministers break their seven-week silence on the SK Pos Tohoi tragedy to show their interest and concern?”

Lim was confirming that Seputeh MP Teresa Kok had given notice to adjourn Parliament on Monday October 19 for an urgent debate on the SK Pos Tohoi tragedy.

It has been reported that the Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan was ‘livid’ over the deplorable education conditions for Orang Asli children, especially in SK Pos Tohoi, the boarding school in Gua Musang where seven school children ranging from seven to eleven years had been missing for seven weeks and with only two survivors, noted Lim. “What’s the use of the Deputy Education Minister being ‘livid’ over the deplorable education conditions for Orang Asli children when both Najib and Mahdzir were unconcerned?”

Lim charged that Kamalanathan was only “livid” over the lack of female teachers for the SK Pos Tohoi where the majority of students were female, but not over the scandal and tragedy of seven Orang Asli children ranging from seven to 11 years who had gone missing for seven weeks, leaving only two survivors. “Were Kamalanathan, Mahdzir and Najib ‘livid’ over the criminal negligence and neglect of the teachers and Education Department officials who did not even inform the kids’ parents that their children were missing until several days later?”

“This was discovered by Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto and State assemblywoman for Damansara Utama Yeo Bee Ying when they visited Gua Musang recently.”

Furthermore, why did it take four days before the authorities launched a search-and-rescue (SAR) operation? asked Lim. “It is most shocking that the parents of the missing kids and the Orang Asli communities were prevented by the authorities from organizing their own SAR.

“The Pasukan Gerakan Am Senoi Praaq, an elite Orang Asli team of experts in jungle terrain under the police, were only deployed on September 29, more than a month after the children went missing.”

Even more shocking, the missing Orang Asli kids were all the time within 1km of their school hostel, lamented Lim. “This underlines the total breakdown of responsibility, professionalism and competence by all the relevant authorities responsible for the seven Orang Asli children.”