Foon Yew school board teaching children it's okay to steal - Pua

 

JOHOR POLLS | Damansara MP Tony Pua, one of the people who actively highlighted the discrepancies in 1MDB before it was eventually exposed globally as a case of "kleptocracy at its worst", has lamented what he described as the "screwed up" state in society.

This was after Foon Yew High School, the country's largest Chinese independent school, welcomed former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak who was convicted of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power in relation to RM42 million belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of 1MDB.

"The school board of governors are setting the worst possible example for our children, telling them in no uncertain terms that it is okay to cheat, lie, steal, abuse power and bully the helpless, as long as you are rich and powerful," he said in a statement today.

Pua said the school's leadership should be removed.

"These governors should all be sacked for a complete lack of integrity, for failing to set an upright example for our young and innocent children and destroying the moral fibre of our society.

"Education has always been at the heart of the Chinese community.

"But if this is the direction the school governors are taking our schools, then we are on a path to a slow but certain decay and malaise in our culture, our righteousness, dignity and honour," he added.

Damansara MP Tony Pua

On Feb 24, Najib visited the school's Seri Alam campus in Johor and delivered a speech imploring the Chinese community to support BN.

Najib had approved the school's construction in 2013 when he was the prime minister and revealed that he overruled then education minister Muhyiddin Yassin who had refused to give the nod.

Najib also approved the school's Kulai campus when he was the education minister in 1999.

Foon Yew High School chairperson Tay Chin Hein claimed the visit was at Najib's request, and the school was grateful for his past deeds. Therefore, it did not want to create a misunderstanding.

However, Najib yesterday claimed he was invited there.

Najib is appealing his 12-year jail sentence and RM210 million fine at the Federal Court.

‘Screwed up society’

Pua said the situation showed that it’s a “screwed up society”.

"When top Chinese independent school - Foon Yew in Johor invited the country’s top-most crook who misappropriated tens of millions of ringgit, if not billions of taxpayers money, a world-renown kleptocrat, to speak in the school - in a prelude to the Johor state election, you know there is something really screwed up in the society," the DAP lawmaker added.

Campaigning for the Johor election kicked off last Saturday (Feb 26). Johoreans will go to the polls on March 12.  - Mkini