KUALA LUMPUR: A senator has urged the education ministry to investigate the officer responsible for barring Tamil songs from being played at a Tamil language carnival in Penang.
Saying that his sources had informed him that the officer in question had been made a scapegoat, A Lingeshwaran also called on the ministry to look into the minutes of a recent online meeting by the organisers.
“I know the minister has stated in the Dewan Rakyat that strict action will be taken against the officer in question, but according to the sources I have obtained, the officer only followed the instructions of his superiors and has been made a scapegoat in this matter.
“On Nov 6, an online meeting of the Tamil carnival organising committee was held, (in which) a male officer whose name I do not want to mention issued an order that prayers be recited, and not the other way around.
“The implication is that ‘Kadavul Valthu’ and ‘Tamil Valthu’ were not sung during the programme.”
Lingeshwaran called on the ministry to summon the officer responsible for questioning, and to hold him accountable.
Previously, a Bersatu leader had also urged the education ministry to explain the “stern action” taken against the officer for banning the two Tamil songs.
Bersatu associate wing information chief R Sanjeevan said the Indian community remained uncertain about the specific action taken against the officer, as education minister Fadhlina Sidek did not reveal details of the action taken.
Batu MP P Prabakaran had also demanded an apology from those responsible, saying that the incident had “hurt the Indian community” since the songs were part of a tradition for Tamil schools.
Prabakaran also claimed that pictures of Tamil literary and philosophical figure Thiruvalluvar were barred from being displayed during the carnival, and demanded an explanation from the minister. - FMT
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