Kids protesting climate crisis off the hook, MOE reiterates

No action will be taken against the 11 students who took part in a recent climate crisis protest in Penang, Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching said today.

Teo said her office has spoken to Sangga Sinnaya, the principal of SJK (T) Sungai Ara, about the protest in a Bayan Baru Ramadan bazaar.

"I was told that it (the event) was carried out after schooling hours, and the children went there on their own volition and with their parents," she told Malaysiakini.

"As far as I know, no action has been or will be taken by the Education Ministry or Penang state Education Department against the children."

Teo was asked to comment on Penang councillor Vino Dini Chandragason calling for a probe on the students for taking part in the climate crisis protest. 

The protest was organised by NGOs Klimate Action Utama Malaysia (Kaum) and Klima Utara Malaysia (Kamy).

Teo's remark follows Penang Education deputy director Abdul Rashid Abdul Samad saying the matter was a "non-issue."

Rashid also told Malaysiakini that no action would be taken against the schoolchildren or the school.

Sangga, meanwhile, said he was asked to submit a report on the protest, but explained that it is merely part of the state Education Department's standard procedures after a complaint has been lodged.

Certain quarters expressed unhappiness that the protesting schoolchildren carried banners rejecting the Penang Transport Master Plan and Penang South Reclamation project, the latter of which involves the creation of three artificial islands.

The students' protest was modelled after Global Climate Strike, an anti-climate change movement initiated by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg. - Mkini